


Remnant of the Old World

by IShipYouNot, No_Count



Category: Fallout 4, RWBY
Genre: Fallout, I have no idea what I'm doing, RWBY - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-12-23
Updated: 2016-02-13
Packaged: 2018-05-08 13:49:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 20,372
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5499380
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IShipYouNot/pseuds/IShipYouNot, https://archiveofourown.org/users/No_Count/pseuds/No_Count
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>During a confrontation with Cinder, Teams RWBY and JNPR are transported through space and time to the Commonwealth, where they will find twisted humor, a cruel new world, pervy old men, and blood. Shenanigans are to be expected.</p><p>No_Count: Expect the shenanigans to return with a vengeance!</p><p>IShipYouNot: I understand nothing about the Fallout universe so I will not be continuing this work in my own time. My biggest role in this as a co-author is to smooth the social awkwardness of the dialogue and sometimes oblique character actions</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Apocalypse Yesteryear

**Author's Note:**

> This one is a crossover between RWBY and Fallout 4. If you don't like it, you are free to leave. I consider this practice for a larger project I am currently working on, and would very much like to receive constructive criticism, where I did well, and where I could improve, and how I could improve, and notice of areas where it looks like I'm mopping up someone else' vomit with my own after accidentally puking in the mop bucket. Chapters will be added as they are completed.

“There she is!” An Atlesian trooper shouted. “Open fire!”

 

 _If you insist_ , Cinder thought, idly deflecting the bullets and dust shells from the guns of the troopers and Knights, before a single fiery blast consumed her opposition, and still more flooded through the halls of Beacon Academy, chasing her into the high-speed elevator. Entire magazines were dumped into the doors of the elevator by the score of troops, and when they finally gave way, the steel cables supporting the elevator remained miraculously unharmed.

 

“Cut the cables! Let it crash and burn!” A trooper ordered.

 

“Halt!” A commanding voice roared.

 

“General Ironwood, sir! Cinder Fall is in the elevator, headed down to the basement. We were going to cut the cables so the car would turn itself into a steel coffin.”

 

“Do you want me to tell you why that won't work, soldier?” Ironwood growled, his glare narrowing.

 

“Yes, sir?”

 

“Because if a fifteen-year-old girl can withstand a fall of several hundred feet into a White Fang base, what makes you think Cinder Fall can't?”

 

“General, I do believe we have spent too much time already lecturing your soldiers!” Dr. Oobleck interrupted, taking a sip of his coffee.

 

“Is now _really_ the time for coffee?”

 

“It won't be long at all until Cinder reaches the Academy's deepest secrets, so instead of sending your men down, Professor Port, myself, Qrow, Goodwitch, and teams RWBY and JNPR will head down to intercept. That reminds me, the students are running late.”

 

“They're actually early,” Qrow informed, marching toward the group, flanked by professors Port and Goodwitch. “The fools actually went down there as soon as the chaos erupted, lead by none other than Pyrrha Nikos.”

 

“What are they thinking!?” Glynda exclaimed, flustered. “They're going to get themselves killed!”

 

“Even so, it should buy us enough time to get down there and stop her, ourselves,” Qrow replied, completely nonchalant.

 

“We are wasting time,” Port said coolly. “Glynda, Qrow, Barty, on me.” Leaping down into the shaft, followed by the others, they all disappeared into the darkness.

 

“What do we do now, sir?”

 

“Now, we wait.”

 

 

 

\----------------

 

 

 

“Mercury, Emerald, Roman, Neopolitan, Adam,” Cinder said with a wide grin. “You were all useful tools in helping me get this far. Soon enough, the rest of the Fall Maiden's power will be mine, and then there's nothing anyone can do to stop me from starting this world over from zero.” The elevator gave it's signature _ding_ as it reached the bottom of the shaft. Upon exiting, she punched the key for the top floor, ensuring her pursuers would at least be stalled. Sauntering down the hallway, it wasn't terribly long before she reached the Fall Maiden. “Look at you, sleeping soundly in that cozy chamber of yours. It'd be a shame if you were to... wake up.” Tearing the cover off the glass and steel sarcophagus, the Maiden began to spasm uncontrollably as Cinder grabbed the woman and forced her to look at her face, ensuring Cinder would be the last person the Maiden would think of. “Rest, now. That's a good girl.” A rose petal fluttered by her face, before it dissolved into the atmosphere. “Ruby. I've been waiting to fight you for some time, after you thwarted Roman's attempted robbery of From Dust To Dawn, and when you and your little friends derailed that train. No matter. I'll repay you, your friends, and that little mutt of yours for meddling in my plans for too long!”

 

“Yeah, yeah, yeah, we get it. The long, drawn-out speech of someone who's just gained ultimate power and is now drunk on it,” Nora sighed, breaking cover. “Honestly, those long speeches given by the villains in movies are incredibly cliché. Maybe you should try something new, like, I don't know, skipping the speech and getting right down to business? That always seems to work for Jaune and Pyrrha, not that they do anything like _that_ in their spare time...”

 

“You have officially worn out your welcome, my patience, and killed my mood! Die!” Cinder bellowed, launching a blast of dust and magic at at the young ginger, only to find her attack had been completely deflected by Jaune, his entire body glowing a bright white. “So, little boy, that's your Semblance? Can you do that little trick a second time?” Bringing a cascade of lava dust and magic down on top of Jaune, he had dodged in time to avoid being fossilized, with a series of glyphs beneath his feet. “Schnee.”

 

“You called!?” Weiss shouted, lunging at Cinder with Myrtenaster, summarily missing, and a large, spiked wall of ice firing up from the point of impact.

 

“Not bad,” Cinder chuckled, easily avoiding a downward strike from Jaune, and launching him into Nora, before noticing several cuts on her right arm from an unseen assailant, which all completely healed in seconds from her aura's increasingly powerful presence.

 

Set upon immediately by the other students, she side-stepped a series of jabs from Pyrrha's javelin, before Ren and Blake took over, unleashing an onslaught of quick swipes from their blades, a spray of bullets, and martial arts, all of which didn't even seem to phase Cinder at all, as she blocked Ren's strikes, and simultaneously shattered decoy after decoy Blake created, before forcing them both to retreat to the shadows as Ruby and Yang finally joined the fray with aid from Weiss' glyphs. Yang's heavy hits staggered Cinder, and Ruby's scythe spilled her blood.

 

“Ignorant children!” Cinder shouted, unleashing a blast of raw power, forcing seven of the freshmen to their knees, with only Ruby still standing, if only just. “You can't even begin to comprehend the power I wield! Now, the question remains; do I kill you where you are, or do I make you suffer and bare witness to Remnant's destruction?”

 

“Stop right there!” Glynda shouted, with Qrow charging her, scythe in hand, only for him to be repelled effortlessly.

 

“Clearly, I will need some time to meditate my next move. Farewell, all. The next time I reveal myself, the bell will ring midnight for this world.” In a bright orange flash, Cinder disappeared, along with the eight freshmen.

 

“Ruby! Yang!” Qrow cried out to the empty chamber. “Dammit. Dammit!”

 

“Now is not the time to be cursing yourself, Qrow!” Glynda rebuked.

 

“Miss Goodwitch is quite correct,” Port said firmly. “Stop wasting your breath shouting at the sky, Qrow. You are not your namesake bird. That is not what you do.”

 

“Then what else am I supposed to do?” He asked, taking a long drink from his hip flask. “Taiyang's gonna kill me for letting this happen. When you find whatever God-forsaken hell hole Cinder brought them to in this universe, tell me. If they're even still in this universe. I've got a bone to pick with that witch.”

 

“Come on. We need to report back to Ironwood,” Glynda said, creating a platform from the shattered remains of the elevator car, and lifting herself and her companions up to the ground floor.

 

“Well? Was Cinder stopped?” Ironwood asked, almost frantic, with Penny by his side.

 

“I'm sorry,” Glynda began, drooping her head in shame. “She vanished from this world, along with eight of our students. All freshmen. We have failed.”

 

“What you did was buy us some time,” Ozpin interjected. “If Cinder fled, that means she needs some time to recover and plot out her next move.”

 

“And if teams RWBY and JNPR were transferred alongside herself, I calculate the odds of them landing within a ten-mile radius in any lateral direction of her with an elevation angle of five degrees on the circumference to be about ninety percent,” Oobleck yammered, adjusting his glasses. “Give or take.”

 

“ _Give or take?_ ” Ironwood growled. “I expect someone of your caliber to be certain on these critical calculations, Oobleck.”

 

“It's a rough estimate, General. A very precise equation and algorithm is required to produce a definitive set of numbers. If anyone needs me, I will be in my classroom working on such an equation,” Oobleck rattled, before using his semblance to disappear into the school.

 

“Qrow, where are you going?” Ozpin asked.

 

“Dinner. Let me know if any of you come up with a plan to get those kids back safe.”

 

“It's as if he's not concerned about whether his nieces are even still alive,” Port said, bewildered at Qrow's nonchalance regarding the situation.

 

“He has faith in them,” Ozpin began. “Ruby and Yang aren't normal teenagers, even by our standards. He knows that. If the others did manage to survive, we need to figure out where it is they disappeared to, and find a way to bring them back alive. I'll meet with you all in tomorrow's briefing. My office, ten sharp.”

 

“I'll have my top scientists figure out just which circle of Hell your students wound up in, Ozpin. We'll get 'em back.”

 

 

 

\------------------

 

 

 

“Hey, General, check it out. Spare parts,” Preston said, gesturing toward a lone Mr. Gutsy under a bridge near some disabled vehicles. Dogmeat paced alongside, before something caught his attention, not that either Preston or the General noticed.

 

“Civilian! A mandatory curfew is in effect. Return to your home immediately.” The Mr. Gutsy ordered.

 

“This is pointless,” the General muttered, his voice barely coming through the speaker of his X-01 power armor. “The war is over.”

 

“Irrelevant. Under the terms of the Martial Law Act, Section 12.J, those refusing to comply with a curfew are to be pacified. Repeat, will you comply?”

 

“Will you comply?”

 

“Repeat, will you comply?”

 

“Will you comply?”

 

“Repeat, will you comply?”

 

“Will you comply?”

 

“Repeat, will you comply?”

 

“Will you comply?”

 

“Loop detected. Error. Err-” The robot was cut off as his core began to glow brightly. “Return to your homes and await further instructions! Attention! Attention, all citizens!” The robot never got to finish his command as he exploded into a radioactive fireball, igniting the nearby Corvegas.

 

“Well, I guess being a smartass is one way to handle a pre-war military robot,” Preston chuckled, the centuries-old cars exploding into even larger mushroom clouds than the robot. Dogmeat yipped from the nearby railroad tracks, and gave a whine, before yipping again.

 

“Has he ever acted like this, Preston?”

 

“Not that I can remember. Come on, we should see what he found. Might be a bunch of stimpacks, for all we know.”

 

“Either that, or a deathclaw....”

 

“Don't tell me after all you've been through, you're still scared of deathclaws?”

 

“Had a run-in with a glowing deathclaw further south. Almost got me.”

 

“Either way, you've got that MIRV thing, and your _Negotiator_ , and about thirty other weapons. I think you'll be fine. Where the hell do you store them all, anyhow?”

 

“Damned if I know. I just reach behind me and grab what I want. I think my Pip-Boy has that worked out. Oh, so that's what's got him so worked up. A girl wearing a red cape face-down in the dirt.”

 

Running over to Ruby, Preston knelt down and pressed his index finger against her wrist, and breathed a sigh of relief.

 

“She's still alive, then?” The General asked, prompting a nod from Preston. “Looking at my map, the closest settlement to here is Oberland Station. Roughly an hour's walk up north, if we follow the tracks. Alternatively, we could go to Vault 81, where we can get a professional doctor to look her over. The Vault looks to be much closer by, so let's head that way.”

 

“Do you have to act like you've seen everything, General? And what's a kid like her doing with a giant Swiss army knife like this?” Preston asked, befuddled, waving around Crescent Rose like a piece of plastic.

 

“I'll hold onto that,” the General said, receiving the compacted weapon from Preston, and removing a ten millimeter pistol with the word _Sorcery_ engraved in the slide, while Preston brandished an Institute laser pistol he got off of a destroyed synth.

 

“So, you said you found that thing in a Super-Duper Mart?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“Wow, they really did have everything back in your day.”

 

 

…........

 

 

“Identified, humanoid life form. Species, unknown,” a man in a red and black uniform stated plainly, standing mere feet away from an unconscious Blake. “Objective received. Returning subject to The Institute for study.”

 

 

….........

 

 

Coming to, her surroundings a little fuzzy, Ruby noted she was in an all-white room with an old-style medical lamp above her. Two men were holding conversation, with a third in a brown trench coat and round hat standing idly to the side.

 

“So, you say you found her like this?” an older man in a white lab coat asked.

 

“What do you take me for, Doc?” A man in a blue, long-tail coat wearing a triangular hat retorted. In his left hand was Crescent Rose, and on his hip, a cutlass.

 

“Look, I understand your position and your capabilities, but how do I know you're telling the truth?”

 

“How many people have you seen dress like that? How many teenagers? None. None in my time, none today.”

 

“You don't need to remind me of your service to... what used to be our country since before those bombs fell, General.”

 

<i> _Where am I? </i>_ Ruby thought. <i> _Who are these people? Did Cinder succeed? </i>_

 

“You know why I brought her here, Forsythe. I need you to figure out if there's anything desperately wrong. Then Preston and I can figure out where she's from, why she was passed out by those tracks, and get her home.”

 

“You sure she'll be okay with that dog?”

 

Sitting up, and looking around the room a little more, taking note of the uninteresting, old-style technology, a large dog jumped onto the bed and began sniffing her face.

 

“Hey, Zwei, you got big,” Ruby remarked, receiving a very wet lick in response.

 

“She'll be fine. I think the worst that can happen is a few licks on her fingers here or there.”

 

“Cut it out, that's gross!” Ruby exclaimed, trying to push Dogmeat away from her face, while the dog remained happy as could be, repeatedly licking her face.

 

“Or not. Dogmeat! Down, boy!” The man in blue ordered, with the canine laying down on the floor. He was of olive complexion, and his face had two large scars on it; one down his left eye, the other across the right side of his face. “Sorry about him, I guess he's happy you recovered. In fact, he's the reason we even came across you. I can see a slight amount of worry in your eyes. You have nothing to fear from the Minutemen, I assure you. Now, I'm willing to make you a deal. You answer me a few questions, and I'll give you back... whatever this is.”

 

“I don't have time to answer any questions!” Ruby shouted, grabbing for Crescent Rose, only to find the man's hand against her forehead, easily holding her in place, as she reached for Crescent Rose in futility, and Preston nudging her away with his laser musket.

 

“Easy, Preston. I can handle myself.”

 

“Yes, General, but...”

 

“It's fine, I understand why you did it. As for you, the sooner you cooperate and answer my questions, the sooner you can be on your way. Are we clear?” The General asked. Ruby nodded, still uncertain. “Good. First off, where are you from? I've never seen anyone dressed like you are, pre-apocalypse or post.”

 

“Vale. I was attending Beacon Academy there.”

 

“Never heard of either of those two places.”

 

“Are you serious? How have you not heard of one of the most reputable schools where future huntsmen and huntresses go to train?”

 

“Because it does not exist. At least, not anymore. Everything was destroyed by nuclear fire over two hundred years ago, and I'm the sole witness to such an event. It's a long story. Either way, you are in what remains of Boston, Massachusetts.”

 

“Never heard of it.”

 

“You've never heard of Boston....? Winner of the 2076 World Series against the Cardinals? The place where the American Revolution began? Harvard Law School? Anything...?”

 

“Nope.”

 

“Wow, she turned that around fast.”

 

“Shut up, Preston.”

 

“Why'd you drag me along? Isn't Piper the person for this kind of job?”

 

“Piper is a reporter, only a step down from a politician. I'm afraid she'd try and dig too deep and ruin any chance we have of finding out where the hell this 'Vale' place is.”

 

“Whatever you say.”

 

“Alright, now that that's out of the way, how did you end up so far away from your home?”

 

“I was fighting an extremely dangerous criminal known as Cinder Fall with seven of my classmates. Three professors and my uncle came down to help, but they were all repelled, and as far as I know, when Cinder retreated from Beacon, I was the only one that came with her.”

 

“And now, for some interesting news,” a radio on a desk chimed. The General dialed his Pip-Boy into Diamond City Radio's frequency, getting a clear signal. “The Brotherhood of Steel, yes, that's them, the guys in the giant airship out east, have detected up to nine strange signatures scattered throughout Boston and the surrounding areas... sorry, the tape is piling up. Anyway, um, it seems according to witness reports, the General of the Minutemen was seen with Preston Garvey carrying an unconscious girl in red near wear one such blip occurred, and an Institute Courser was seen in front of another unconscious teenage girl, this one clad in almost all black with a bow on her head. The latter comes from a Brotherhood Vertibird near the Connecticut Institute of Technology.”

 

“That's Blake!” Ruby exclaimed, prompting Preston to ask her to quiet down.

 

“Umm, that's all the information I have at the moment, but a woman in a crimson dress was seen approaching the Crater of Atom in the Glowing Sea. I think we can all assume we'll be seeing Piper Wright scouring the wasteland in search of these people to pry for a story. Anyway, here is _60-Minute Man_ , and, uh, he isn't talking about his nap time,” the radio's disk jockey said, wrapping up the news story, as the Pip-Boy's radio receiver was turned off.

 

“If you trust me, I can help you find your friends. The wasteland is a completely unforgiving, savage place. We can help you, but we need details. Their appearance would be a great help.”

 

“Well,” Ruby paused, removing her scroll from one of her pockets, and bringing up her contacts list, and handing it to the General. “I hope this helps you a little.”

 

“What is this thing? It's a lot more advanced than anything even The Institute has.”

 

“It's my scroll. Don't break it.”

 

“Let's see, here.... Weiss Schnee, Blake Belladonna, Yang Xiao Long, Jaune Arc, Pyrrha Nikos, Nora Valkyrie, Lie Ren... are those the people that are missing? Blake's description over the radio seems to match the picture on your... scroll. So, you must be Ruby Rose? You seem younger than your friends. Almost too young.”

 

“Oh, Professor Ozpin, he's the headmaster, invited me to attend after I stopped a robbery of a Dust shop being committed by Roman Torchwick. I was trained by my uncle, Qrow. And that thing in your hand is my high-caliber sniper scythe, Crescent Rose.”

 

“High-caliber what?”

 

“It's also a gun.”

 

“I got that part.”

 

“Part high-caliber rifle, part ultra-light battle scythe.”

 

“What the hell do you fight that you need a weapon as absurdly complex as this?”

 

“Grimm.”

 

“Grimm?”

 

“If I may, General, I'm wondering how it is that dust is valuable enough to warrant an armed robbery?”

 

“First, let me just get it out of the way that Dust is a substance that allows us to fight Grimm. It's quite powerful, and has a wide range of uses, unlike the dust you may find on your nightstand. Second, Grimm are mysterious creatures with all-black fur and skin, and white, boney masks and armor. Nobody really knows what they are or where they came from, because they die in captivity and evaporate shortly after death. We don't even know why they attack humans on sight and are so persistent on destroying our cities.”

 

“Well, that's all we needed to know,” the General said, handing Ruby back her scroll, along with Crescent Rose. “Do yourself a favor, and don't venture outside during a radiation storm. If you want to temporarily join the Minutemen, head to The Castle, on the south shore. We may be able to spare the resources to launch a sweep of the Boston area, and send the descriptive data of your friends and adversary to Minutemen-aligned settlements. So, sound like a good deal? Alternatively, you could go to Sanctuary Hills, far to the north west. Codsworth is my old butler from before the war. He should be able to help you get situated.”

 

“I think I'll temporarily ally myself with the Minutemen. The faster we find my friends, the better.”

 

“Great, I'll have Preston and Dogmeat escort you there.”

 

“But I have some questions for you, as well, if you don't mind.”

 

“Alright, shoot.”

 

“Who are the Minutemen?”

 

“We are a group dedicated to bettering the lives of those trying to survive in this unforgiving world, usually through fulfilling contracts such settlements give us, other times by setting up defenses for said settlements.”

 

“What about the Children of Adam?”

 

“The Children of Atom, as they call themselves, are even loopier than the Railroad. They worship the atomic bomb like it's some kind of god, and radiation as a divine energy. So far, only the ones in the Crater haven't tried to melt my face off with their radiation guns. Normally, I enjoy giving them an ironic death by blowing them up with my MIRV launcher.”

 

“The Brotherhood of Steel?”

 

“They're a group that dedicates themselves to confiscating advanced technology from the locals, and wiping out abominations such as synths and super mutants. A machine is still a machine, no matter the face you give it. Honestly, The Institute reminds me of an old, sci-fi film about time-traveling robots and a computer than nukes the world after gaining a sentient mind of it's own.”

 

“And, lastly, what of the Glowing Sea?”

 

“Don't go there. It isn't called the Glowing Sea for no good reason. It's a field of death. If the feral ghouls, radscorpions, and deathclaws don't get you first, the radiation will surely finish the job. Unless you've got power armor, or are a ghoul, synth, or super mutant, you're gonna need all the RadAway and Rad-X you can carry. Any other questions?”

 

“No, I think that's all for now. You've been quite helpful,” Ruby said, leaving the room with Preston and his superior, who entered a suit of extremely bulky armor. “Is that the power armor you were talking about?”

 

“That's right. X-01 Mark VI.”

 

“Cool...”

 

“Hey, just one thing, Ruby. Don't worry about Blake. I know where to find her, thanks to the radio popping in at the right time. Then, we can get to work on finding the rest of your friends. Until then, I'm going to The Institute to find Blake, and I assure you, I will bring her back alive.”

 

With that, he disappeared in a bright, blue flash.

 

“This just keeps getting better...”

 

“Come on, we need to get you to The Castle. General's orders.”

 

“I believe he wanted me to look her over. You know, basic stuff people have done when they go in for check-ups,” Forsythe interrupted.

 

“Oh, right. Of course, doctor.” _  
_


	2. Institutionalized

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We find out what goes on in the Institute when they see a faunus for the first time, and the General passes a difficult speech check with Blake.

“So, these are real cat ears, then?” An older man questioned, reaching for Blake's faunus ears, only for her to twist them out of the way, or move her head slightly, occasionally giving a growl. Everyone knew the only reason she remained in place was because of the two Coursers inside the same room, but her face said it all. After several more attempts, the man pinched one of her ears between his index finger and thumb, and began rubbing, only to receive a snarl from Blake. “Intriguing. Truly a marvel of genetic engineering worthy of our study. Which Courser brought her here?”

 

“X4-92, sir.”

 

“Is that right? And he said he found a bizarre weapon?”

 

“Yes, sir. A thick blade that, when trialed, was capable of transforming into a katana, a pistol, and some kind of whip with a pistol and blade attached at the end. We have not identified a designation for such an incredible tool.”

 

“Indeed. Begin testing on this subject immediately. I want to know what it is you find.”

 

“Yes, Father. Move the subject over to Bioscience,” the lab assistant ordered, with two skeletal synths approaching.

 

“Do not resist,” one advised in a deep, monotone voice. Ignoring it, Blake activated her semblance and made a clone of herself, which the synths had grabbed, only for it to disappear,, and Blake's boot caving in one of the synth's metal craniums, and beheading the second one with a roundhouse kick to it's face. Attacking one of the Coursers, it effortlessly blocked her punch, as the second one grabbed her under her arms.

 

“Do not offer any further resistance, or force will be exercised,” one of the Coursers warned in a firm tone. Struggling to get free of the synth's grip, the one she had attacked walked up and pressed his fingers against her throat, and her world went dark.

 

Waking up, Blake found herself in a large room with a handful of scientists, many microscopes, and a glass cage with what appeared to be gorillas in it at the far end. Analyzing her surroundings further, she found her hands were chained to the legs of what appeared to be a steel operating table she had been laying on, and the two Coursers from before stood at attention on either end. Feeling one of her ears, she groaned as she realized fur was missing. On her right arm was a small, red spot, likely from a hypodermic needle, and upon noting that, realized she was now in a medical robe, with her face turning a deep red with a mix of embarrassment and anger.

 

“Alright, Miss Belladonna,” a scientist began, approaching her. “We just need a few more blood and fur samples, and then we can get to your medical history.”

 

Ignoring her frustrated grunt, the scientist pricked her arm with two more needles, and had trouble gripping the fur on her second set of ears, as she kept flicking them about.

 

“Do not resist,” one of the coursers hissed. Complying, the scientist gripped the fur, tugged slightly, and shaved it off with a small razor.

 

“Such soft fur, pity we need to harvest it. And if it makes you feel any better, it was a female who dressed you. All of our scientists are respectable people, but Father doesn't want to take any chances, and his son just dropped in to say hello.”

 

“I still don't understand, father. Why are you so opposed to us trying to further our research, to help the Commonwealth?” Father pleaded, walking towards her, next to an oversized metal suit, the head of which resembled an insect.

 

“I take it you didn't watch a lot of sci-fi in your youth, Shaun?”

 

“What reason would I have for that nonsense?”

 

“There's actually quite a few good lessons in the genre. Not giving machines sentience is a good one to look into.”

 

“But we have installed Isaac Asimov's Three Laws of Robotics into each of our synths, of the same variation installed in sentry bots and Mr. Gutsies, with some tweaks.”

 

“So, back to the subject at hand,” the suit said, turning towards Blake. “Tell me, young lady. What is your name?” His only answer was silence, to which he sighed. “You needn't worry. I'm not one of them. I can help you find your friends, all thanks to one I already found. A young girl in red, wields a high-caliber sniper scythe. I believe she is the leader of your squad? She is safe with the Minutemen. I promise.”

 

“Blake,” she muttered, not looking up at his face, but staring straight ahead.

 

“I'm sorry?” the man asked, exiting his armor and coming slightly closer. He was dressed in an old, blue, long-tail coat, with a military ballistic plate underneath.

 

“Blake... Belladonna.”

 

“I didn't recognize you without your bow. Come on, let's get you out of here.”

 

“I'm afraid that's not possible,” the scientist interrupted. “We still have a lot of analyzing to do, and...”

 

“I'll handle this,” Father interjected. “You honestly believe I'm going to hand over a valuable specimen just like that? We still have yet to figure out how she was created, and then we can duplicate those results on newborns, and make enhanced humans by splicing the genome of a house cat with that of a human, just like whoever created her did.”

 

“And what makes you so sure she was created in a lab?”

 

“How else do you explain the cat ears?”

 

“I'm pretty sure your research isn't going to reveal anything other than natural mutation, uninterrupted by human experimentation.”

 

“And you know this, how?”

 

“I don't. But did you not pay any attention to how these kids are dressed? They're clearly not from anywhere around here. Fashion froze around three hundred and thirty years ago, and these young men and women that wound up here have technology beyond our scope, but probably on par with your own, Shaun.”

 

“Is that so? Then we must locate the others and analyze their technology, as well.”

 

“Shaun, as your father, I'm ordering you to call off your synths.”

 

“You may be the general of the Minutemen, but you don't have much authority here.”

 

“It's either you call off your synths, or,” interrupting himself, the General pulled out a sidearm that appeared to be extremely advanced, and reduced one of the Coursers at Blake's side to a pile of ashes in a single shot.

 

“Very well, have it your way. Release the cat girl, and bring her her clothes,” Father ordered. The remaining Courser unlocked her restraints, and an older-model synth dropped off her clothes on the table. “The rest of her gear is located in Advanced Systems, in Dr. Madison Li's old lab.”

 

“What is this, some kind of show?” The General asked, bewildered everyone was still standing around. “Give the lady some privacy, you filthy animals.” Climbing into his power armor, he turned his back to Blake as the others scattered, and in place of the hyper-advanced pistol, he pulled out a rather strange-looking, Gatling-style gun.

 

“I'm ready,” Blake said, after several minutes of silence, prompting the General to start walking, with her at his side.

 

Upon exiting the laboratory, Blake and Father's father were greeted by a massive white room with greenery and an elevator in the center. Looking behind her, the sub-facility they had just exited had a bright neon sign above it that read _Bioscience_.

 

“According to my map, Advanced Systems should be on our right,” the uninvited guest said to himself, ignoring her gawking at their surroundings. “Follow me, and stay close, or they may think you're trying to break out, yourself.”

 

Heading down a flight of stairs, making a right, and heading up another flight of stairs, they found themselves before another doorway also with a bright, neon sign that read _Advanced Systems_. Upon entering the facility, they were halted by a scientist.

 

“Wait! You're not supposed to be here! Security!”

 

“Will you just calm the hell down? I'm here to pick up this girl's weapon and leave. Now, unless you want some spare parts to pick up, I suggest you call your synths off. If you have any objections, bring it up with my son.”

 

“Stand down. I'm sorry, I didn't realize it was you with all that armor on. Please, right this way.”

 

“So, seeing as this is your weapon, ma'am, would you mind telling us where you got it?”

 

Blake simply grunted and turned away from him.

 

“A-anyway, your weapon is just over here, in Dr. Li's old station,” the scientist said, heading over to a small room, not more than twenty feet deep, with Gambol Shroud laying on the room's lone table as a kusarigama, and her scroll right next to it. Taking back her weapon, it compacted back into a cleaver as she sheathed it onto her back, before slipping her scroll into a previously invisible pocket.

 

“Good, now stand next to me, Blake.”

 

Obeying his orders, Blake stood at attention right at his side, and before she knew what had transpired, they were near a cave entrance.

 

“What the... You're pretty damn fast, General,” a dark-skinned man in a brown overcoat remarked, exiting the cave. “And who's this?”

 

“Blake!” Ruby shouted, activating her semblance out of excitement, and knocking her friend back several yards. “What's the inside of The Institute like did you see any synths what happened to your ears where's your bow did you bring me any spare parts?”

 

“Ruby!” Blake exclaimed, forcing Ruby off of her, and taking note of her surroundings. Skeleton trees, damaged structures, and rusted machinery dominated the visible area. “Where are we?”

 

“Some place called Boston,” Ruby began, calming down. “Preston, here explained everything when we were coming up out of Vault 81.”

 

“It certainly looks... inviting,” Blake observed, noting what appeared to be an oversized mosquito fluttering around in the distance.

 

“Don't get too comfortable,” the General warned, approaching them. “A deathclaw can come from anywhere.”

 

“What's a deathclaw?” Ruby asked.

 

“Satan's pet lizard.”

 

“I think that sums it up nicely,” Preston chimed in. “By the way, are those real cat ears?”

 

“What gave you the idea they weren't?” Ruby asked.

 

“Preston, can she borrow your hat?”

 

“Don't you have one in those bottomless pockets of yours?”

 

“Just a fedora... Look, it doesn't matter. Let's just hit Diamond City on our way to The Castle and see if Valentine can't help us out some.”

 

“What about Piper? Aren't you two, you know... close?”

 

“Not the time, Garvey....”

 

Feeling something sniffing at her boots, Blake turned around to find a large German shepherd, which looked up at her and gave a happy bark, causing her to scramble onto the General's power armor.

 

“I forgot to mention,” Ruby began, sighing. “She hates dogs.”

 

“That's pretty spectacular, considering I heard she took down two Gen 1 synths unarmed. Blake, you can get down. He's friendly.”

 

She simply hissed at the dog walking around below her in response.

 

“Oh, she reacted the same way to Zwei, when my dad shipped him to Yang and I in a tube smaller than a toilet paper roll.”

 

“Hissing included?” Preston asked. “And no, I'm not even questioning physics, anymore.”

 

“Nope. No hissing at the corgi, but it seems she really doesn't like the shepherd. Come on, Blake, get down! We can't enter Diamond City with you on the General's power armor!”

 

“Forsythe say anything, Preston?”

 

“Results came back clean, but he did say something about her having greater technological proficiency than other kids her age, after she made something out of a couple mouse traps and a circuit board.”

 

“I got bored,” Ruby grinned.

 

“Interesting. So, what was it...?”

 

“Uh, I think it was something similar to some chattering dentures,” Preston replied, causing his superior to suppress his laughter, resulting in a snort.

 

 

 

\----------------

 

 

 

Stirring awake, Weiss' vision was slightly blurry as she took note of her surroundings. A simple shanty with metal walls, and a lantern at the foot of the bed.

 

“Nick, she's waking up,” a woman in a brown vest and pink skirt called down through the wide open floor boards. A hefty knock came from the door downstairs.

 

“Stay up there, Ellie,” a man in a brown trench coat and worn fedora warned. “I don't need you getting caught up in a firefight.” Opening the door, three men in green suits carrying rifles walked in.

 

“Nick Valentine, is it? You haven't aged well, even though you can't actually age.”

 

“Did you think of that one yourself, Gunner? What could you people ever approach me for, if not to rob this place? I'm surprised security didn't shoot you on sight.”

 

“That's because we didn't walk in with our weapons drawn. Now that we're here, however, let's get down to business. We've been talking to the locals, see, and a few of them say a young girl in white mysteriously appeared right outside Diamond City's walls. A local... entrepreneur wants her, and he's willing to pay good. He's willing to offer a whopping five thousand caps just for one girl in a white skirt. He would have asked for a little girl in red and a raven-haired chick seen by C.I.T., but the Minutemen and Institute got to them first. So, what do you say, Nick? Ready to hand us your valentine?”

 

“That's a cute play on words, Gunner. Let's get to the point though, shall we? Just what kind of scum does your employer take me for, handing over a young girl for, what, some money?”

 

“He also said that if you didn't just hand her over, to shut down Valentine Detective Agency for good. Your choice, Nick. Either hand over the girl and walk away rich, or become a pile of slag, and we still get paid for bringing the girl back with us.”

 

“I already told you, I'm not going to sell you anyone to a slaver, no matter how much you pay me, and what made you think you could just waltz in here without attracting the attention of Piper Wright?”

 

“I didn't think you had a heart, tin man. Funny, because you're still a machine, and we're still getting paid. And what do we have to worry about from a reporter?”

 

“The fact that she's right behind you in T-60f power armor, courtesy of the Brotherhood of Steel and carrying a minigun?” A woman in an extremely large metal suit chimed in. The mercenaries whipped around and dumped their magazines, with the woman remaining unphased. “Alright, now it's my turn!” After a brief spin-up, the mercenaries were cut down in seconds by a spray of lead.

 

“It's a good thing they didn't escape your notice, Piper. If you hadn't shown up, I would've been decommissioned for sure.”

 

“Hey, didn't I tell you not to thank me on the small things?” Piper asked, exiting her power armor. She was wearing her usual red coat, green scarf, and newsboy hat. “So, I believe we agreed to a fifty-fifty split on the loot? Wow, this box is heavy!”

 

“I'll worry about counting out the caps, Piper.”

 

“I believe I overheard something about a girl in white being held here? That's not conspicuous at all, Valentine.”

 

“She's upstairs. Do be mindful not to pry too much. Not every headline has to come yesterday.”

 

“Don't worry, I don't expect everyone to be as open as Blue!”

 

“If I think you're starting to dig a little too hard, I will go upstairs to stop you. She only just woke up. And don't publish it right away. Let the Minutemen find the kids first before you start publishing articles. We don't want people taking advantage of them. Ellie, you can come down and get back to work, now.”

 

“Whatever you say, Nick,” Piper replied, heading toward and up the stairs. Ellie made her way back downstairs as Piper got out a notepad, and took a seat where Ellie had been sitting seconds before. “Alright, now let's get down to business. Oh, I have so many questions, where do I even begin? Oh, I just need to refer back to my interview with Blue...”

 

“You're.... a reporter?” Weiss asked, clearly unimpressed.

 

“Yes? I don't expect you to have heard of Publick Occurrences, considering you don't exactly look like you're from around here. Come to think of it, you'd probably stick out in the public eye about as much as a super mutant.”

 

“I'm not answering any questions.”

 

“Well, for formality's sake, how about I get your name, so I don't have to address you as 'the girl in a white skirt'?”

 

“You really don't know who I am? Sorry to say, that's not the first time I've heard that. Only the second.”

 

“No, I'm afraid I don't. You act as though your name carries weight where you're from. I like that. It will make for a good article, probably as good as The Man Out of Time.”

 

“If it will satisfy your hunger, my name is Weiss Schnee, heiress to the Schnee Dust Company,” Weiss said expectantly, taking note of Myrtenaster's location by the small table at the foot of the bed, leaning up against the wall, resting point-down on a floorboard. Sitting up, she readied herself to grab for the weapon.

 

“Dust...?” Piper asked, completely lost. As Weiss was about to give an explanation, an explosion rocked the shanty.

 

“What the hell was that!?” Valentine shouted, moving to investigate. Screams and gunfire could be heard from outside. Leaping off the bed and grabbing her rapier, Weiss rushed out the upstairs door, only to see Cinder smile menacingly. A few shots rang out from below, to which Cinder lunged and Nick, knocking him to the ground.

 

“Just who are you supposed to be?” She hissed.

 

“Me? Oh, I'm the Tin Man, and you must be the Wicked Witch of the West.”

 

 

 

\------------------

 

 

 

An explosion rocked the sky outside Diamond City's great, green walls, with pieces of them raining down on guards and the group as they approached the gate.

 

“What the hell was that!?” A guard shouted, motioning for the other stationed guards to follow him into the city. “You four, give us a hand! That power armor sure will come in handy if it's something bad!”

 

“Lead the way,” the General ordered, with the guards sprinting full-steam toward the gate.

 

“God dammit, Danny, the fuckin' city's under attack!” A guard shouted frantically into the microphone. “We're trying to get inside because that's where the attack's occurring, you idiot!” The gate lifted, and the guards rushed inside, followed closely by Ruby, Blake, the General, Preston, and Dogmeat. Upon entering the city, a few buildings lay damaged, smoldering, with guards firing at a woman in a red dress with their pipe rifles, and Weiss relentlessly attacking her with ice Dust.

 

“She just does not die!” One shouted, before being engulfed in flames.

 

“Blake,” Ruby began, turning to her friend. “Checkmate.”

 

“On it,” Blake replied, rushing to aid Weiss, and launching a tandem attack on the perpetrator. Peering through her collapsible scope, Ruby got a confirmation on the target.

 

“It's Cinder!” She exclaimed.

 

“I see she likes to play with fire,” the General began, brandishing a gun that released a cold fog from it's muzzle. “Preston, find Nick Valentine and Piper. Help them evacuate the citizens, and fire your weapons as necessary. If you're going to shoot anyone, make sure it's the one in the dress. You go with him, Dogmeat.”

 

“On it, General,” Preston replied, rushing around the combat area.

 

“This is gonna be fun,” the General said to himself, before noticing Ruby had already joined the fray.

 

“Ladybug!” Ruby shouted, with herself and Blake running tandem on Cinder, lateral and verticle scythe strikes followed up by a series of slashes from a katana, then a volley of pistol bullets and a blast from a high-caliber rifle cartridge. “Newspaper!” Weiss summoned a clockwork glyph, and after a brief moment of pause, both Ruby and Blake began attacking with physical attacks and their semblances in incredible tandem, with Cinder having trouble keeping up with the blur of blades and hailstorm of dust and lead, but still holding firm, and Weiss occasionally blasting her with a shot of Dust. Guards poured in, firing their pipe rifles, only to be swiftly put down by a cascade of fire and lava. A blue cloud of smoke and red arcs of electricity erupted from Cinder's shoulder, accompanied by a loud _crack!_ Cinder's aura became momentarily visible, with the point of impact made obvious by a large spiderweb crack, as she was sent stumbling backward a couple steps, leaving an opening for Blake and Ruby. Another small explosion erupted from Cinder's body, with another large crack in her aura appearing on her other face as she was sent tumbling off the rooftop.

 

“It was nice playing with you again, girls, but I'm afraid I have over-stayed my welcome,” Cinder said in a mocking tone, scrambling to her feet, and vanishing almost as quickly as she appeared.

 

“You three! And you! In the power armor!” A portly man in a brown, formal suit and a fedora shouted. Ruby, Blake, and Weiss appeared by the General's side, at attention.

 

“There's no need to hold a military pose, kids. This is just Mayor McDonough. He seems to enjoy stuffing his face with other people's spoils.”

 

“Are you mocking me? I can personally have you kicked out of this city, and I don't give two fucks if you are the general of the Minutemen!”

 

“And I'm a one-man demolition crew. Which brings me to the point that it was because of these three girls that your city is even standing. By the way, you can ask your guards, if they're still alive, and they will tell you we were outside the city walls when those explosions happened. I think you owe these three girls an apology for being so rude, foul-mouthed, and fat on your first impression.”

 

“Why, you... you!” The mayor fumed, reaching for his pipe pistol.

 

“It's not really a good idea to raise your weapon against someone in power armor, you know. Your bullets will be about as effective as gnats. If, however, you want to be the first on my list of people to be killed by a teddy bear, be my guest.”

 

“Ah, McDonough,” a woman began. It was Piper in her power armor. “Still scaring children?”

 

“Very funny, Piper. Just know that all of you are now on my watch list,” McDonough warned, storming off.

 

“What did you do now?”

 

“Oh, Valentine,” the General began. “What happened to you?”

 

“That witch attacked me after I fired a couple shots at her. Murdered my hat, but I made it out otherwise unharmed.”

 

“He's a robot,” Ruby gasped, while Blake cringed and shied away slightly.

 

“Yeah, I'm a synth. What's the matter with her?”

 

“The Institute got to her, first. I think they were getting ready to run some experiments on her.”

 

“I can't imagine why,” Valentine remarked sarcastically, noting Blake's cat ears. “Come on, we can talk more at the Dugout Inn. My office is a little too small for all of us.”

 

“You guys can go on ahead,” the General began. “I need to speak with Blake for a moment. I'll meet you there.”

 

“If you insist,” Valentine replied, giving him an odd look.

 

“Nick? She's about ten years too young for my taste. You know that, so quit with the look.”

 

“Alright, just don't take too long. Come on, let's get to the inn so we can get down to business regarding your other missing friends. By the way, General, nice aim. Now I see why you like that Gauss rifle so much.”

 

“Thanks, Nick,” the General said, pausing. “So, Blake, would you mind telling me exactly why you have cat ears? I'm only asking because I don't want attention to be drawn to you. People like you don't exist here, and despite the fact that these people deal with super mutants and feral ghouls knocking at the gate every day, that doesn't mean they won't consider you a curiosity. Hence, The Institute.”

 

“If you really want to know, I'm a faunus,” she sighed. “There are many like me back home, each with different traits, and despite my... past, my friends don't seem to view me any differently than they view each other. That's what I desired from when I was younger.”

 

“So you're treated as second-class citizens back home? Just like the ghouls here....”

 

“Yes. It hasn't been easy, and I've done everything to hide it, but eventually, the truth becomes known, no matter what you do.”

 

“Indeed. Here, take this fedora Nick gave me a while back. While it may not match your outfit quite right, my power armor should help draw that attention away from you. Come on, we shouldn't keep them waiting.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel I don't quite have the effects of the Gauss rifle quite right. Any input regarding that would be appreciated, as well as to how I could adjust the wording of the fast-paced fight scene.


	3. Becoming Grey

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> People can be cruel.

Upon entering the Dugout Inn, and finding Valentine and the others seated on couches around a small table, a drunkard stumbled over and began slurred mumbling before speaking up enough to be heard.

 

“Hey, what's this thing doing here?” He asked, pointing at Nick.

 

“Is that what your parents said when you were born?” Nick retorted before lowering his voice. “Did he really just notice me?”

 

“Bull, what have we discussed about antagonizing the other customers, especially when it's Nick conducting business with a group of people?”

 

“Ah, shadup Vadim. Besides, what's Nick's posy lookin' like this time? Red Riding Hood...”

 

“Huh?”

 

“...a ballerina....”

 

“Excuse me!?”

 

“...and a dominatrix?” Bull finished, turning to Blake, who simply growled and grabbed for Gambol Shroud.

 

“Easy, Blake,” the General muttered.

 

“What's a dominatrix?” Ruby asked.

 

“You're not old enough to know,” Nick replied. “Look, Bull, if you want to pick a fight, you can go ahead and go toe-to-toe with an adult, instead of being weak and picking on three young girls who won't fight you simply because you're not worth the time.”

 

“I'm not sure one of the Institute's orphaned robots counts as an adult.”

 

“Bull, I'm only going to give you one chance to walk away,” the General warned, climbing out of his power armor.

 

“What, you trying to act tough by getting out of that big metal suit?” Bull asked, walking up to the General, and punching him in the face repeatedly, sending him swaying slightly one way or the other. “Yeah, what do you think of that? Not so tough now, are you?”

 

The General stood silent, only popping open a Nuka Cherry and downing it on the spot.

 

“That was a cute display, Bull. Brought me back into focus after watching a real fight outside. Thanks for the offer, but I don't hit girls.”

 

“Why, you little!” Bull shouted, winding up a swing, only for the General to catch it, and counter with one of his own, which sent Bull tumbling, and collapsing to the floor shortly after, in a drooling, unconscious heap.

 

“I'm sorry about the mess, Vadim.”

 

“Don't worry about it. You gave my customers a new door mat. Hah!”

 

“Anyway,” Nick began. “You were saying you had some missing friends?”

 

“Yes,” Ruby replied, running through her scroll and selecting an image of Yang, while Weiss selected Team JNPR on hers, and setting both of them on the table before Nick.

 

“So, these are the people that are missing, then? Yang is one of your friends, I'm assuming?”

 

“We're sisters, actually. Half-sisters.”

 

“You wouldn't happen to have any leads, would you?”

 

“It was mentioned over Diamond City Radio that the Brotherhood detected multiple blips on their radar,” the General interrupted.

 

“And I doubt they're just going to hand over the data. I'm sorry, Ruby, but without any leads, I'm afraid there's not really any way to locate these friends of yours. I would recommend, however, keeping an ear out for gossip between raiders while you're out in the wastes.”

 

“Just which of you has ever killed before?” The General asked.

 

“Are you sure that's a good question to ask?” Preston interjected.

 

“I have,” Blake replied. “It wasn't a good feeling, and it was on one of my first assignments. I was to assassinate a faunus who was spying for the Atlesian military.”

 

“That explains why you were so set on finding Torchwick,” Weiss responded.

 

“I know this isn't an easy thing to ask of you three, especially given how young you are, but if you are to survive in the wasteland long enough to see your friends again, you will need to learn to kill without hesitation. I believe Beantown Brewery is a good place to start. Place is infested with raiders, but it seems like a pretty weak gang. I won't intervene, except in the unlikely event you run into some trouble. Who knows? We may even run into one of your friends.”

 

“Ruby's the team leader,” Blake began. “I say we let her decide this one.”

 

“Have you lost it, Blake?” Weiss gasped. “Ruby's never killed anyone before, not even any members of the White Fang!”

 

“Neither have you. By the way, that Dust explosion was your fault.”

 

“That was almost a year ago...”

 

“I'll do it,” Ruby said quietly. “Even if there's no guarantee of finding my sister or friends, I don't want to be a burden to the Minutemen.”

 

“That's noble of you, Ruby,” the General began. “Sacrificing your innocence for those you care about. You are aware that there are no guarantees of seeing your friends or sister again, and yet you're willing to take that chance. Reminds me of when I joined the army.”

 

“Just how old are you?” Weiss pried.

 

“A rough estimate? About two hundred and forty years. In the year 2077, I watched a Chinese nuke go off to the southwest of Boston. For two hundred years, I was frozen in that coffin Vault-Tec stuffed me into. Trust me, I lost whatever innocence I had left as soon as I stepped foot outside of the vault. That's why I know what I'm asking of you three is not an easy burden to bear.”

 

“What could you know about that? My family's been at war for years!” Weiss exclaimed. “That's why I trained to become a huntress, so I could lead a life of my own and right my father's wrongs...”

 

“And what makes you think that's just going to happen overnight? It's going to take you decades to undo whatever damage has already been done. Do you know how I know loss? I watched as my wife was murdered and my son was kidnapped sixty years ago, and there was nothing I could do. Not for another few decades, at least.”

 

“Are you proud of what your son has done with his life?” Blake asked, breaking her silence.

 

“If you mean continuing with replacing people with synths to undermine settlements? No. My ultimate goal is to destroy the Institute. I only wish to show my son his ways are wrong, and if that means killing him, then so be it.”

 

“You're just going to kill your son? Just like that?” Preston interrupted.

 

“He must be punished for his crimes. As his father, that is my duty. It won't be an easy thing to do. Neither was killing one of my friends,” the General said firmly, leaving the inn, with Dogmeat following.

 

“He may seem like a hard man, but he's actually one of the nicest people you'll ever meet. He's just caught at a crossroad regarding his family and his duty,” Nick apologized. “I hope you understand. Now, would any of you girls like a drink or some food?”

 

 

 

\----------------

 

 

 

“Time to die, human!” A super mutant shouted, charging the General with a board, to which he lost his head to a militarized chainsaw.

 

“Thank you, Jack,” the General said aloud.

 

“You're welcome?” A Diamond City guard replied.

 

“Not you, I named my ripper Jack,” the General corrected, before heading into the building of now-dead super mutants. Climbing the stairs, it wasn't terribly long before he found himself on the rooftop of a connected building, overlooking the Boston skyline. Taking a seat, he stared off into the western sky, and soon lost track of time, before hearing the clicking of shoes behind him. Turning his attention to the sound, he found Ruby halting her approach. “Why are you out here?”

 

“Weiss didn't feel comfortable approaching you after what she said, but I told her she can stay in town while Blake and I go to the brewery to prepare for the future,” Ruby said, staring at the rooftop. “I didn't wait for her answer.”

 

“I like your phrasing,” the General chuckled. “Reminds me of that poor Vault-Tec salesman. It's a small world.”

 

“What'd I say?”

 

“'Prepare for the future' is Vault-Tec's slogan. That rep that got me into a vault moments before the bombs dropped miraculously survived two centuries of carnage. So, what really brings you out here?”

 

“I wanted to make sure you were feeling alright. You became quite angry when Weiss started mentioning... certain things. Besides, it's not like I want to kill. I just... feel like it's necessary if there's any chance I'm to see my sister or any of my other friends again. I just hope they're alright.”

 

“I'm fine. Killing those super mutants is what I needed to calm myself down some. Look, I hope we can find your sister. I know what it's like to lose family. I don't want to see it happen to anyone else.”

 

“I can't imagine how dad might react when he finds out Yang and I are in a very different world, right now. Probably not too differently from my uncle. Weiss' sister, Winter... I'm not sure how she'll handle the news. Those two are closer to each other than they are to anyone else in their family.”

 

“Does Blake have any family?”

 

“Not that I'm aware of. She's never mentioned them, and they never showed up to any of the school events, like the Vytal Festival tournament.”

 

“I see. So, for all we know, she could be an orphan. Either that, or her family outright abandoned her. In either case, it's a damn shame. I think I've spent too much time feeling sorry for myself. The three of you should get some rest. We leave at seven, tomorrow morning. Come on, we should get back to Diamond City.”

 

 

 

\----------------------

 

 

 

“You are one ugly Ursa!” Yang shouted, launching a Yao Guai through the air several yards, as another one came charging. As it brought it's claw down, Yang leapt out of the way, before noticing a bright yellow line laying on the ground. “You... you monster!” With her hair igniting in an inferno, she charged the mutated bear, and blew it's head off in a single punch, before turning to the other one, and sending it airborne, kicking and punching it's gut multiple times in quick succession, finally punting it into a tree. No sooner had she turned around than a piece of wood connected with her forehead, knocking her unconscious on the spot.

 

…........

 

Coming to, her vision blurry, she found herself slung over the shoulder of a man in some very crude armor, being carried through what appeared to be a bunker.

 

“Hey, don't touch this one!” The man exclaimed. “The boss may find her interestin'. Took out two Yao Guai with nothin' but her fists. Oh, and her hair caught fire at one point.”

 

“Who the hell has a lion's mane like that? If it holds heat, it's no wonder it caught fire! Oh, and did you hear? Diamond City came under attack while you were out. According to the radio, it was some chick in a red dress blowin' up buildings. Some Gunners tried to buy a young lady in a white skirt off of Valentine shortly beforehand, but they got mowed down by Piper. According to reports, it was that same girl, as well as the General of the Minutemen who fended her off. Apparently, said General used some kind of fancy tech called a Gauss rifle.”

 

“What's he call that thing? Zarathustra, or something like that?”

 

“I think I read about some ancient king called Zarathustra after we ran out of Grognaks. Apparently, some monk taught him chess.”

 

“Wish I could read...”

 

“Anyway, you'd best not keep the boss waiting any longer. She's right on the other side of the security gate.”

 

After a few seconds of walking, the unknown person stopped right after the security gate.

 

“Boss, I believe I came across someone who may be of interest to you.”

 

“I'm not a lesbian, Dozer. Did you find Lily or not?”

 

“No, ma'am. On my way to the brewery, I came across this young lass killing two Yao Guai with nothing but her fists. She quickly got angry at them and her hair caught fire. She even launched one into a tree, and blew up one's head just by punching it. She may be able to get into the brewery and locate your sister.”

 

“I believe she's conscious, so if you could take her off your shoulder, I'd like to know what it is I'm dealing with.”

 

“Yes, ma'am,” Dozer complied, setting Yang on her feet. Turning, she face a young woman in leather with red and black face paint across her eyes, and short hair swept over to the left side of her head.

 

“So, you're the one Dozer came across? You don't look like much. You're a little small.”

 

“Big things come in small packages, but I'm pretty sure a good number of your men know all about small packages, don't they?” Yang snarked.

 

“I like your attitude. Cocky, but you mean business. I assume you overheard our little conversation?”

 

“Yes. I actually happen to be searching for my own sister. We got separated after a fight with an old enemy, and wound up in... whatever this place is.”

 

“This is the Commonwealth. More specifically, you're in the Federal Ration Stockpile, right outside the ruins of what used to be Boston. Perhaps we can help each other? You confirm my sister's whereabouts, and maybe I'll help you look for your sister. What do you say?”

 

“I guess I have no other option. Very well, I'll help.”

 

“Good, now get some rest. I can't have you trying to fight Tower Tom and his boys tired. I'll have an order sent out to the men not to touch you,” Red said sternly, prompting Yang to leave for the barracks.

 

“So, boss,” Dozer began, quietly. “You really gonna help her look for her sister if she finds yours?”

 

“Of course not, you idiot. When she comes back with information regarding Lily, we're going to kill her.”

 

 

 

\----------------

 

 

 

“Weiss, I'm surprised you actually came,” the General remarked.

 

“It'd be silly if Ruby and Blake volunteered, but I didn't come along.”

 

“A matter of pride? Look, I was never forcing any of you to do this if you didn't want to. Last chance to back out, because once we go in, there's no going back for any of you. My goal in doing this is to turn you into soldiers capable of taking down Cinder without hesitation. You would be doing both our worlds a service.”

 

“Which is why we came along,” Blake interrupted.

 

“Remember, I will not intervene unless things start to go horribly wrong for you, understand?” the General asked, receiving nods in response, to which he opened the door to the brewery, and lead the group inside. Ruby immediately picked off a raider playing bowling with beer bottles, which caught the attention of a raider in the next room, who Blake quickly dispatched with a quick swipe of Gambol Shroud in it's kusarigama form. “War never changes, girls. Better get used to it. And, Weiss, I can understand your hesitation .These are humans we're fighting, but they're monsters all the same. A raider's favorite hobbies usually include torture and murder. Time to move on to the room with all the brewing vats. Ladies...” On his command, the three girls charged into the brewing vats room, resulting in an eruption of gunshots and explosions, which became quiet after a few moments.

 

“You sure this is the right thing to do?” Nick asked, concerned.

 

“Ruby didn't want to be a burden to the Minutemen, and Blake already has some experience. Weiss could use it. If they are to stand any hope of defeating Cinder, they are not to hesitate, because if Zarathustra couldn't get through that aura or whatever's protecting her, then they wouldn't stand a chance without this training. It's a tough choice to make, Nick. Tell me, do you think I'm making the right choice?”

 

“Hard to say. On the one hand, they're losing their innocence. On the other, you're doing them a favor, and they're doing the Commonwealth a favor.”

 

“No matter what choice I make, it's never a win-win situation. Come on, we should check on their progress.”

 

Heading to the vats, he was greeted by the sight of dozens of bodies lying everywhere.

 

“That's a lot of blood,” the General remarked, turning to the girls. “You three alright? You sure this isn't too much for you?”

 

“It's a little difficult to swallow,” Ruby replied, her voice shaky. “But if it's necessary.”

 

“I understand. You're killing humans, and that is not an easy thing for most people to handle, but these were not good people. Not by a long shot. This isn't murder, it's justice. I'll admit, I may have done some questionable things during my time up here, but the hard truth is, we are doing people a favor. Now, let's say hello to Tower Tom. If you girls have had enough violence for one day, I will kill him.”

 

“Just... think of them as White Fang operatives. It's what I've been doing.”

 

“That's not something I expected to hear from you, Blake,” Weiss replied.

 

Heading to Tower Tom's office, they were greeted by a muscular raider in cage armor with skull-like face paint wielding a shotgun. He was visibly shaking.

 

“S-stop right there!” He stammered. “Wh-what are you? Demons? Witches? I thought it was just superstition, but after hearing it over the radio...”

 

“What did you hear over the radio?” The General inquired, his power armor even more intimidating than the three young women Tom was obviously afraid of.

 

“Diamond City was attacked. Haven't you heard!? A witch wielding fire was fended off by the General of the Minutemen and another witch using ice and a sword!”

 

“Witch!?” Weiss shouted, lunging at Tom with Myrtenaster, and impaling him through the chest, causing him to go limp almost immediately.

 

“People are often scared of things they don't understand. Now, let's check those logs,” the General said, exiting his power armor and taking a seat in front of Tom's terminal. After a few minutes of browsing, he got up and started picking the lock to the wall safe. “According to the data on the terminal, he had recently captured someone named Lily, sister to a certain Red Tourette at the Federal Ration Stockpile, and had been using her as ransom to get food. Clearly, the liquid diet hasn't been working out.”

 

“Hello?” A woman called out into the brewery. Looking out of the office window into the brewery, a young woman with a large mane of blond hair walked around on the bottom floor. “Anyone still alive in here?”

 

“That looks like Yang,” Ruby stated.

 

“How do we know she isn't a synth?” The General asked.

 

“Yang cares dearly for Ruby,” Blake began. “If something were to happen to her younger sister, it would destroy her.”

 

“It's cruel, but what other option do we have?” The General asked. “Ruby, I need to borrow your cape, as well as your scroll.”

 

“Um, sure,” Ruby replied, removing her cape, which had been soiled with dirt and blood, and had been snagged on pieces of railing. Taking her belongings, he headed for the elevator.

 

“Don't follow,” he ordered, as the elevator doors opened. Taking it down, it wasn't long before he found Yang still wandering around the bottom floor. “Excuse me. Are you lost, young lady?”

 

“No, I was sent here by Red to look for her sister, Lily.”

 

“It seems I already beat you to it. Turns out, Lily's been dead for a while. She broke loose one day, Tom meant to shoot her in the leg, and killed her instead. Afterward, he unsuccessfully tried to forge the letters she had been sending out.”

 

“That cloth on your left arm, is that... is that Ruby's cape?” Yang asked, her voice cracking.

 

“Is that who this belonged to? What was your relationship to her?”

 

“She was my little sister. Please, please tell me you just found it snagged onto a tree?” Yang pleaded, on the verge of crying.

 

“I'm sorry,” the General began, folding up the tattered cloth, and taking Ruby's scroll out of one of his pockets. “All I found was a skeleton, already picked clean by crows and wild dogs.”

 

“No,” Yang sobbed. “You're... you're lying!”

 

“Who am I that I should lie about this? I'm sorry, young lady. I wish I had gotten there sooner,” the General apologized, extending his arms, bringing the cape closer to Yang, who looked as though she was about to collapse. “I will keep the device, so I may locate your other friends before they suffer the same fate. You should report your findings back to Red. After that, meet me at the railroad bridge south of Oberland Station, where her body was found. By that time, a proper burial should have been had, and you can pay your respects in peace,” he said quietly. Accessing the map on his Pip-Boy and setting a marker, he continued, showing Yang. “Here's Oberland Station, and here's where the body was found. Head west, then follow the train tracks south. Meet me there, and she can have a proper burial. I'll have one of my guys get on it. Tower Tom's terminal is this way.” Climbing the loading ramp, then a nearby set of stairs, Yang watched as he disappeared into an office, before chasing after him. Upon reaching the office, however, she found nobody there except a dead raider with a stab wound in his chest, a terminal, and an open wall safe. Cracking open the elevator, she found it was still at the bottom of the shaft. No exterior doors had opened or closed, that she could remember. Heading to Tom's terminal, she skimmed through the logs, barely taking note of anything, except that Tom had accidentally killed Lily and stuffed her body into one of the vats, before going on to say she made the beer taste better. Another log reported Tom lying to his crew about a caravan, before ditching the body somewhere out in the wastes. Removing herself from the terminal, Yang trudged over to the elevator, pressed the call button, and the car arrived shortly after. Taking it down to ground level, she trudged out the double doors she entered the brewery through, where Red was waiting.

 

“Well?” She asked, sounding anxious, handing Yang a bottle of clean water. “What did you find out about my sister? Did Tom move her somewhere?”

 

“She's dead,” Yang muttered, trudging forward, acting as if Red weren't even there. “She's dead.”

 

“I don't follow. Who's dead?”

 

“She's dead,” Yang repeated, her voice shaking. “She's dead.”

 

“Come on, men,” Red ordered, having her forces storm into the brewery.

 

Listening to the shuffling of boots, the clatter of weapons and armor, and the door slam, all was still. Even the wind itself had stopped at the moment. Having never liked silence, Yang sprinted west toward the tracks, before finding them and heading south.


	4. Painful Reunion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Apparently, it still needs more editing.

“What are we doing in Diamond City?” Ruby inquired.

“I forgot to mention that the three of you stick out like a sore thumb, your ammo will be hard to come by, and your money may or may not be worth very much here. We use bottle caps as currency, not... whatever you have.”

“Bottle caps?” Weiss snickered.

“It's a post-apocalyptic world, and because bottle caps aren't being produced anymore by companies like Nuka-Cola, they make the ideal currency, as they're pretty much at a fixed value. What ammunition do you girls use?”

“Nine-by-nineteen Dust and solid-shell,” Blake replied flatly.

“.50 variants.”

A thoughtful hum escaped the general. "Blake, your ammo is going to be something of a problem. I haven't encountered any nine-millimeter weapons or ammo in the wastes, and neither have I seen any in the stores. It won't be impossible to convert your gun over to a .38 or ten-millimeter, should you run out. If any of you use Dust, then you should use it only if you really have to. Now," he spoke, turning on his heel to face the main road,"I believe you need to blend in, so why don't we do some shopping around? Becky should have something for each of you.”

“Hey, you! In the power armor!” A security guard began, approaching the group. “You can tell the young ladies behind you that in exchange for saving Diamond City from that witch, they can use Kellogg's old place when they need to, as a gift from the residents. A couple more beds have already been put up inside.”

“Thank you for the information, officer. The use of a home is appreciated, even if their stay may only be temporary,” the General replied. “Anyway, let's get the three of you some new clothes.” Heading over to Fallon's Basement, the barber loudly advertized his services. Exiting his power armor, the General lead the group into the dusty under-croft of threads.

“Welcome to Fallon's Basement!” Becky exclaimed. “Wait, you three don't look like you're from around here.”

“Whatever they pick, Becky, I'll pay for. Nobody's shoplifting today.”

“Just who are these girls?” The graying woman asked.

“Ruby, Weiss, and Blake. They're kind of, um... out of place.”

The immediate response was a small hum and a shrug.“I've had stranger folks than you walk through my doors. With that said, I may have something for each of you. I've got a selection down here, as well as upstairs, where you can change. Try on what you like, but remember; you break it, you buy it.”

After some minutes of browsing, then a short period changing upstairs, Weiss had taken to a white button-up with the left sleeve missing, and in it's place a white half-cape, along with some blue jeans overlaid with leather chaps, and some wide heels. She had also removed the hair clip, and instead wore a braid. Blake followed shortly after wearing a white, short-cut shirt that exposed a fair amount of her abdomen, some dark military pants, combat boots, a black long-tail coat with only the top button secured, and a black fedora with some subtle holes in the top. Her hair was tied into a bun.

“Weiss was set on wearing a pair of stilettos she found, until she tripped on a hole in the floor,” the fuanus said, smirking as she informed the waiting pair. Weiss bristled in embarrassment.

“That explains the random thud,” Becky replied.

Ruby waltzed down the stairs moments later, wearing a red dress that ended just above the knee and ran up to her neckline, contrasted by a black corset, along with some tight-fitting blue jeans, some belts wrapped around her legs, and a pair of red running shoes, with her hair in whatever mess she left it in.

“That looks like total chaos,” Weiss remarked with a tired sigh. “Oh, well. It suits your personality, I guess.”

“That 'll be ninety-three caps.”

“Sure thing, Becky. Here.”

“You girls should see the barber next door, might be able to clean some of that blood and dirt out of your hair.”

“Thank you, but I believe some of us need something closer to a bath,” Weiss replied.

“So, you girls have your clothes all picked out?" The three nodded in response. "Good. Now, let's get you familiar with the ammo shops.” Exiting the clothier, the General lead the group toward a vendor labeled Diamond City Weaponry, where a man in a vest waited for customers and occasionally advertized his wares and a workbench right outside his shop.

“What if we can't find what we're looking for here? Would that place have anything?” Ruby inquired, gesturing toward Diamond City Surplus.

“That woman thinks everyone's a synth,” the General replied flatly.

“I'm watching you, you dirty synth,” the shop owner growled at a patrolling security guard.

“Everyone. If you're going to shop there, wait until after hours when Percy's out. He's the Mr. Handy, and believe me when I say he's much more bearable.”

“Well, if it isn't my favorite customer! You here to buy the whole store again? Or are you more interested in something for your brothel?” His chuckle was dry and gravely.

“Okay, Arturo, stop joking. These are new volunteers for the Minutemen, and my soon-to-be top mercenaries.”

“Well, my mods and their bods certainly kill, except the one with the matador cape.”

“Hey!” Weiss exclaimed, flustered.

“Weiss may be as flat as a washboard, but she's got a lot more to offer than you do,” Ruby snarked.

“I don't know if I should thank you or slap you,” Weiss huffed, mortified that her partner could be so vocal about her chest. Blake chuckled into her hand, but only making a half-assed attempt to conceal her amusement.

“Alright, so what can I interest you people in today? Some big guns? Ammo? Explosives? Or are you looking for something a little more... up close and personal?”

“We were actually looking for some fifty-caliber ammunition.”

“I currently have thirty shells in stock. I take it these are for you?” Arturo asked, only to notice the General pointing over his shoulder toward Ruby with his thumb, smirking. “Seriously? That girl's half my size, and I even have trouble handling that caliber.”

“Don't underestimate them; they aren't normal teenagers. By the way, I'll take those fifties, and do you sell any conversion kits from a nine-millimeter pistol?”

“Unfortunately, no nines are known to exist in this region. What did they call it in your day? New England? If you want nine-millimeters, you're going to have to go all the way to New Vegas. Sorry. Also, that's six hundred caps.”

“We should probably get a move on,” Weiss began, examining her scroll. “Yang has just passed Oberland Station.”

“How do you know that?” Ruby asked.

“After you fell through the street in Mountain Glenn, I figured I'd install a tracking device into each of our scrolls. The information is only available to us, though. I don't think Yang knows about it.”

“Well, thanks for telling us in the event you were to go missing, Weiss,” Blake sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose in frustration.

“I installed an alert system, too!”

“Where's Nick?” The General asked.

“Look, I found your doll, just don't lose it again,” Nick said to a middle-aged man working the cooking station at Power Noodles.

“Is he talking to a grown man?” Ruby asked. “I'm probably a third that guy's age, and I don't have dolls.”

“He must be pretty lonely,” Blake muttered.

“Sorry about that. I figured while you three were getting some new clothes, I would take care of a couple things around town.”

“You're right on time, Nick,” the General said, running over to his power armor, then returning to the group. “We need to get to the railroad bridge before Yang. We still have a couple hours, but we should make the most of it.” Teleporting away as they had at the brewery, the group landed right outside Vault 81, where they made a run for the railroad bridge.

“I'll start digging when I get there. You guys take your time,” Nick said, continuing running as the rest of the group, save for Ruby, slowed to a walk.

“I'll go with you!” Ruby exclaimed, keeping pace with Nick, barely tapping into her semblance.

“How are you keeping up with me?”

“It's because I'm special!”

“That right? It's been a long time since I've had any fun, since the real Nick Valentine's had any fun, so I'm willing to race you. Just be warned that I don't run out of breath.”

“Where to? I have a better idea than the plan, so if I win, we'll do that instead.”

“The railroad tracks, west of here.”

“Okay!” Ruby exclaimed, dropping back a few paces, before activating her semblance and rocketing to the tracks, causing Nick to look beside himself in disbelief, summarily tripping over an exposed root. His artificial brain had overloaded, trying to compute the physics of Ruby's unassisted 'teleportation', for lack of a better word.

“Do you think the General's ever seen anything like that, Blake?”

“Weiss, doesn't it make more sense to ask him than me?”

“I've been to a lot of places, seen a lot of things, but that's a new one. Both of them.”

\-------------

Trudging along the railroad tracks, it was long before Yang came to several derailed and overturned cars. A loan figure, clad in blue with a triangular hat against his chest could be heard humming a hymn near a tower on the south end of the bridge. A makeshift headstone marked the grave, with some mutated flowers placed near it. As she approached, he stopped humming and put his hat back on his head.

“Miss Xiao Long,” he began. “I know what it's like to lose family. I can sympathize with your pain. I will leave you to grieve in your own way, so take all the time you need.” Walking toward a small, square building, he could hear Yang's sobs, as she mourned her sister. Heading down the stairs, he found Nick, Weiss, and Blake in the stairwell. “Hey, guys? Where's Ruby?”

“There's been a slight change of plans,” Nick informed.

“What kind of change?” Weiss whispered.

“Oh, you'll see. Let's get up there and spy a little, shall we?” Peeking up out of the stairwell, Yang's babbling was almost completely unintelligible.

“Yang!” Ruby shouted, sitting upright in the pseudo grave, trying to wrap her arms around her sister, who instead shrieked and planted her fist firmly into Ruby's face. The brunnette laid back into the shallow pit, dazed and twitching. “Ow... That wasn't part of the plan...”

“I could have told her that was going to happen,” Nick muttered.

“Ruby? Is that... is that really you? You're... you're alive!” Yang exclaimed, overjoyed and wrapping her younger sister in a bear hug, before becoming quite angry. “What kind of sick prank is this!?” The blonde roared, turning towards the building the general was residing in.

“Oh, shit, here comes Grognak! Run!” The General exclaimed quietly, sprinting down the stairs and scrambling into his power armor. No sooner had he turned around than Yang had lunged at him, her fist impacting the power armor's chest piece, knocking it into a corvega. Looking up, Yang had become suspended in mid-air by a black glyph, flailing her arms and legs to try and break free. “Let me go, Weiss! Let me at this jerk!”

“You're not going anywhere, Yang. All that fancy armor isn't going to protect you from her, General,” Weiss scoffed. “She's destroyed much bigger and sturdier things than that.”

“Weiss? What happened to you?” Yang asked, suddenly becoming very confused. “And, Blake, why are you dressed like you're from some old detective novel?”

“We needed to blend in a little better,” Ruby groaned, rubbing her face.

“My question, Ruby, is how you expected your sister's reaction to be anything BUT bad?” Nick inquired. Turning to Yang, he continued. “Name's Nick Valentine. Sorry about the face, the years haven't exactly been kind.”

“Before I turn you into scrap metal, tell me what's going on!” Yang demanded.

“I'm not letting you go until you calm down,” Weiss objected.

“It was my idea, Yang,” Blake intervened. “I told the General that if something were to happen to Ruby, you would be devastated. We did it to make sure you weren't a synth. I've seen synths with my own eyes, and I've fought them. They're like us, but stronger, smarter.”

“I don't know how quickly the Institute is capable of producing a synth that looks exactly like someone,” the General began. “So, we needed to be sure. I'm sorry I put you through all this. These days, you just can't be too careful. Ruby, would you come over here for a second?” Complying, Ruby approached him as he exited his power armor. Removing a stimpack, he pricked her arm with it. “There we are. The bleeding will stop shortly, and the swelling should go down momentarily.”

“Just what the hell is going on!?” A woman shouted. At the east end of the tunnel, Red stood fuming. “Who are you people!?”

“If you can't tell, I'm the General of the Minutemen. Over there is Nick Valentine.”

“I know who you two are. I'm talking about those three! And just how are you doing that?”

“Let's call it 'Magic' because most of you don't look smart enough to understand a more thorough explaination anyway,” was the heiress' flippant reply.

“You wanna say that again you stuck up tavern wench!” one of Red's grunts yelled from the back of the group.

“First impressions tend to speak volumes,” Weiss replied, unimpressed. “Thank you for imforming me that not only are you an incompetent bunch of inbred pigs, but your hearing is on the same level as your intelligence!”

“That's almost meaner than the first conversation you had with Ruby. _Almost._ ” The faunus was having more and more trouble supressing her amusement.

“Um, Weiss? Could you let me down?” Yang asked. As the glyph disappeared, she got to her feet and gave the General a relatively light punch in the mouth.

“What was that for?” The General asked, holding his mouth, blood dripping over his hand. A stimpack quickly found it's way into his neck, and the bleeding stopped.

“You know exactly what it was for,” Yang glared. “Hey, Red. These are Weiss, Blake, and Ruby.”

“So, your sister has wound up just like mine, then?” Red asked, sounding sympathetic. “Despite my sister's demise at the hands of that sewer rat, I'm still willing to help you find yours.”

“Don't listen to her, Yang! She's just going to use you,” Valentine warned.

“Shut up, clockwork dick!” Red yelled back.

“It's synth detective, jackass!”

“Actually, I already found her,” Yang answered, gesturing toward Ruby.

“That's not really your sister, you know. You two look nothing alike.”

“We're half-sisters, actually. Jackass, over there, decided to play a cruel joke and make me think she was dead,” Yang said, turning toward the General, who was scrambling into his power armor and pulling out a minigun, amidst a swarm of raiders at the other end of the tunnel.

“Bullshit! Bull! Shit!” Red shouted, furious. “You knew she was alive all this time and decided to play coy so you could meet your friends here in the middle of nowhere! I'll kill you. I'll kill you all! And then... and then when I'm done? I'm going to dig down to Hell, myself, so I can give torture to Tower Tom that the devil, himself wouldn't dream of!”

“You can use me, torture me, stab me in the back, even kill me! But if you touch one hair on my family's head, I'll make sure you regret it!” Yang bellowed.

“Boss? What are your orders?” Dozer asked.

“Kill them. Starting with the one in the red dress! After that? Do what you will with blondie, here.”

“Yang,” the General warned. “You don't have to do this. Are you sure you're going to be able to live with the fact that you've killed someone?”

“At this point, I don't care.”

“Tough talk,” Red growled, before raising her voice. “Men, do what you want with the albino, blonde, and overcoat, but kill the Minuteman, clockwork dick, and the one in the red dress.”

“Synth detective!”

“Same thing! Get them.”

“Alright, Eugene, eat 'em up!” The General shouted. After a brief spin-up, Eugene started chewing through opponents as Ruby joined the fray, clearing out several at a time with a combination of blade and high-caliber bullet. Blake took on the other group with Yang, Gambol Shroud making mince meet of the raiders as both a katana and kusarigama, while Ember Celica's buckshot perforated multiple raiders at once. After some minutes of combat, all became quiet, except for a single gunshot. As Ruby looked behind her, a raider fell over to the side, a spiked board still held over his head, the barrel of Nick's revolver smoking from a fresh shot.

“It's over, Red,” Nick called out, turning to the raider leader.

“Impossible...”

“And yet, here we are, and there your men are,” the General replied, gesturing to the many bodies strewn about the underpass.

“No matter, it isn't over while I'm still breathing!” Red exclaimed, grabbing a missile launcher off of a nearby raider and firing it at Ruby.

Panicking and shielding her face from the explosive, the blast came, but there was no heat or shrapnel. Looking up, the General had used his power armor to absorb the blast, and it's core had taken significant damage.

“I told you,” Yang growled, shaking, her hair now an inferno. “Nobody hurts my family and expects to get away with it!” In a rage, she lunged forward, and imbedded her fist into Red's face. After recovering from the heavy swing, she looked down to find the raider's head on her shoulders backwards. The sight almost made her throw up.

“I'm sorry it had to be like this,” the General said quietly, placing a hand on her shoulder. Looking up, she saw he had exited his power armor once more. “Take Red's gear and do something about your hair. You're going to need to blend in. I'm sure that leather jacket will look better on you, anyway. As for the rest of you, scavenge the bodies and keep what you want. You too, Weiss. I understand one of the reasons you didn't attack is because you want to save your Dust. If you like, I can teach you how to use a gun. If, however, it's because you can't stand the thought of killing people, tell me, and I will make sure you are not a part of this war any longer.”

“I'm fine,” Weiss began, approaching him. “It's just that I'm not sure how long my current Dust supply will last. Myrtenaster just devours it. I should develop a more efficient system, like my sister. She always got it right.”

“Don't be so hard on yourself. When I stepped out of Vault 111, I didn't know what I was getting myself into. In fact, I got caught in a radiation storm first day out. I may have done time in the army, but before this wasteland, I had never killed anyone. Trust me, I know how you feel. Come on, help your friends collect the spoils so we can get back to Diamond City in time for last call.”

“You sure that's a good way to say that to a seventeen-year-old?” Nick interrupted.

\----------------------

“Hey, Coco, did you finally settle on something you like?” Velvet asked her teammate. No response. Coco simply stood in place, looking down at her scroll. “You trying to find good deals on clothing?” She simply received Coco's index finger, signaling her to be quiet. Inching closer, a news feed was playing on Coco's scroll, with Lisa Lavender reading the top headline.

“In the latest battle at Beacon Academy, the wanton criminal Cinder Fall made off with a powerful artifact, which General Ironwood and Beacon staff have refused to comment on. According to the witness report of Qrow Branwen, Fall simply vanished when confronted, and other sources report eight freshmen have gone missing at roughly the same time as Cinder Fall,” Lisa reported, pictures of members of teams RWBY and JNPR appeared on the screen, before cycling to video footage of Qrow. “When pressed for further information regarding the disappearance of the students, the legendary huntsman gave a subtle warning to our reporter on the scene about meddling in affairs we 'do not understand'.”

“Thank you, Lisa,” Cyril Ian began, the camera flicking over to him. “The trials of criminals Roman Torchwick, Emerald Sustrai, Mercury Black, and Neopolitan is set to begin tomorrow at two, with the four facing charges ranging from petty thievery and fraud, to armed robbery, attempted murder, and high treason. The four were found to have been working alongside the notorious domestic terrorist group, the White Fang.”

Closing her scroll and putting it in her pocket, Coco rubbed the lenses of her sunglasses on her shirt.

“Is everything alright, Coco?” Velvet pried.

“Where's Fox and Yatsuhashi?”

“Fox went to the training grounds, and Yatsuhashi made for the gym, but said we should meet up at A Simple Wok at noon for lunch. It's the fact that Teams RWBY and JNPR are missing, isn't it?” Velvet asked, her ears drooping.

“They're probably alright,” Coco began, feigning a smile. “They may be freshmen, but they don't die that easily. Come on, we should find the others.”

…...........

“Will you turn that off, Ozpin?” Qrow badgered, taking a drink from his hip flask.

“The media really doesn't know where they shouldn't stick their noses, anymore,” Glynda huffed.

“True, but can we fault them for doing their job?” Ozpin questioned.

“Of course we can. All they're going to do by reporting on this is spread fear, and when they spread fear, the Grimm will come. We're already tied up as it is, trying to locate them on Remnant. The scouts from all the other kingdoms have proven as unsuccessful as Ironwood's incompetent minions. I've tried to call Ruby and Yang, but neither of their scrolls are even getting a signal.”

“That may prove to be a bit of a problem,” Ironwood interrupted. “Dr. Oobleck immediately jumped to the conclusion that they were transported alongside Cinder to someplace else. What if he's wrong?”

“What if you're wrong, Jimmy? Why are you so dead-set on disproving everyone out there when you don't know a damn thing, yourself?”

“I'm simply suggesting another theory, Qrow. What if the teams were vaporized when Cinder departed? Surely a transition like that must generate a lot of heat....”

“No way. I didn't feel anything when she started glowing.”

“I already have my top scientists prodding that tear in space-time to try and figure something out. So far, they have nothing. The Schnee Dust Company, however, is sending over a team of their best scientists, escorted by Winter Schnee. They should be arriving as early as tomorrow.”

“I don't think we should worry about them,” Glynda began. “They are capable students, as it stands.”

“I'm sure that wherever they ended up, those kids must be terrified,” Ozpin replied.

\-----------------

“Yang, are you sure you don't need any shotgun shells?” The General asked, standing out front of Publick Occurrences, his power armor beneath the overhang. “I will buy them, you know.”

“I'm fine. Let's just go see this Piper and be done with her little interview.”

“Alright, let's not keep the others waiting.” Entering the newspaper shop, Weiss gave an exaggerated huff. “I'm sorry, were we taking too long?”

“Just a little,” Blake stated.

“Alright!” Piper began, barely containing her excitement. “Oh, this is going to be even bigger than your hit news story, Blue! Alright, so I believe you're fairly important. Weiss Schnee, is it?”

“Uh, yes?” Weiss replied as Piper took a seat in a leather chair across from her.

“So, what's life like back home?”

“To be honest, it was boring and stressful, having everything decided for you, every day. My sister became a huntress, and I'm under a lot of pressure to follow in her footsteps.”

“I believe you mentioned a substance called Dust, as well as a company called Schnee Dust Company? Would you mind sharing some information regarding the two?”

“The Schnee Dust Company mines Dust crystals, which are then either ground down into a fine powder, which can be used as a propellent for ammunition, or as a catalyst for one's semblance, offering a tactical advantage, such is the case for Blake and I, or cut into shells, which carry properties of their own. They come in four primary types; fire, water, earth and wind. They can also be combined to form secondary elements. For example, fire and earth creates lava, and water and wind creates ice. Dust, while it may appear benign, is actually quite volatile. A simple sneeze can create a fireball, if fire Dust is inhaled.”

“Don't you feel smart for shaking a vial of Dust in my face, now?” Ruby asked in a mocking tone.

“Shut up, Ruby! That was almost a year ago...”

“What about life at Beacon?”

“Weiss, how much did you tell her before now?” Blake asked.

“Not that much. Anyway, life at Beacon was hard to get used to, at first, but we did have some fun there, learned a lot, and fought some... unsavory types.”

“Domestic terrorists,” Blake interjected.

“Blake!”

“What? You weren't going to say it. You do realize you're talking to the same person who indirectly insulted your father's company right in front of you despite knowing exactly who you are, right?”

"Yes, but I'm working on letting the past stay where it is."

“What was the name of this terrorist group?”

“The White Fang,” Blake replied. “They were under the employ of Cinder Fall, who as you know, attacked this... fine city just the other day. The others in her group, lead by the notorious mafia-like criminal Roman Torchwick, who turned out to be a decoy, are all now in prison.”

“I wonder how Roman likes being back in jail?” Yang asked, somewhat rhetorically.

…..........

In the steamy showers, a large man towered over Roman.

“I said, pick. Up. The soap.”

…...........

“I'm sure he's fine,” Weiss replied. “Why do you care?”

“Alright, I believe that's about all the questions I had for you, Weiss. Now, then, how about Ruby and Yang?”

Weiss removed herself from the sofa, and the sisters took her place.

“So, I understand you two are siblings?”

“Half-sisters,” Yang replied. “Same father, different mothers.”

“Now, just who are your mothers?”

“I never knew my mother, but Ruby's was everything a kid could ask for, until... well...”

“You don't have to continue on the subject. I really had no business sticking my nose there, come to think about it. Anyway, how was life for the two of you back home?”

“It was pretty good. Got taught by our uncle at Signal, made a few friends at Beacon...”

“And Ruby got bumped up two years by Beacon's headmaster,” Yang interrupted. “She's the leader of our little group.”

“Interesting. Now, Yang, I've heard your hair can catch fire?”

“Only when I'm ready to level a bunker.”

“You should have seen her face when I popped out of the ground,” Ruby giggled.

“You think that's funny? I seriously thought you were dead!”

“From where I was standing, it wasn't funny at all. Quite frankly, it was hilarious. Until you knocked me on my ass while I was in my power armor. Though, the wasteland may have slightly twisted my sense of humor.”

“Weiss, I overheard your conversation with the General back over at the tracks. Why didn't you fight?”

“My glyphs are mainly used for defense and strategic operations. A summon would be my primary offensive move, short of Myrtenaster's strikes, but I'm still having difficulty with it.”

“What about your Dust?” Yang inquired.

“Back at the brewery, I tested my more ranged abilities with Myrtenaster, but it seems that the effects of Dust have been severely weakened to the point where all they're really good for is a pretty light show. Which means I'm limited in my offensive capability, and Blake is limited in strategic operation. At least she still has a ranged weapon. Without Dust, all Myrtenaster is at this point is an over-designed rapier.”

“That's not really a good way to talk about your weapon, Weiss,” Ruby replied. “Even if it is the truth.”

“Weiss, I'm willing to offer you one of my weapons, if you'll accept. I think you'll like it. A gift from the Institute.”

Walking over to Weiss, he held out a white, blocky rifle. Weiss received it, felt it out, and found she liked it.

“I borrowed it from one of their synths.”

“You mean you stole it?” Blake accused.

“Actually, I destroyed the synth and borrowed it without asking. It's a laser rifle. Almost no recoil.”

“Anyway,” Piper interrupted. “Blake, what was life like for you?”

“It was hard.”

“I'm going to need more than that.”

Removing her fedora, Piper was almost surprised to find a pair of cat ears resting atop Blake's head.

“Are these real?” She asked, getting up. As she reached down, a copy of Blake appeared as the real one propelled herself over Piper's shoulders and hid behind Yang.

“Sorry,” Piper apologized.

“Now, do you see what I mean by life was hard? I have had to conceal this for years because of the way we're treated back home. I used to be a member of a particular group that would protest businesses who used faunus labor, and would protest for rights equal to humans, the same privileges. Eventually, our leader stepped down and a new one with very different ideals took his place. The protests turned into riots, and the riots into organized assaults. The worst part about it all was people began to respect us, but only because they feared us. I never knew what happened to my parents, so don't bother asking.”

“Wow,” Piper began, shuffling her pen and paper. “So, um, how is life in the Commonwealth for you girls?”

“I guess it's good for what it is,” Weiss replied.

“It could use fewer laboratories,” Blake added.

“Some people need to stop playing cruel jokes.”

“It's dusty and bloody.”

“Alright, I think that's all I need,” Piper said. “Thanks for your cooperation.”

“Before you go to publish it, we did want to lay out some ground rules,” Weiss began. “First, you are not going to publish it until we find the other team that went missing. Second, you're to keep your mouth shut about this until that happens, and third, failure to follow our agreement will be dealt with harshly, such as Nora breaking both of your legs.”

Examining the room, Piper noticed Ruby had left the couch long ago and was now examining the printing press. Yang stood by the far door, Blake was still taking cover behind Yang, and Weiss was in the chair to her left. Making a run for the near door, she almost fell forward trying to stop as she found Ruby already there, with her weapon in it's rifle form.

“Hey, Blue, aren't you going to do something about this?”

“Do I look suicidal?”

“Could have fooled me.”

“So, do we have a deal?” Yang asked, cracking her knuckles.

“Now, now, let's not get hasty!” The General exclaimed feverishly. “Would any of you girls like food or a drink? I'm sure being hungry and thirsty would cause you to get this way.”

“Wouldn't hurt,” Ruby replied.

“Okay, we have a deal. I won't publish any of this until we find the rest of your friends.”

“Alright, now that that's settled. Would anyone like a Nuka-Cola, or some water?”

“You really know how to change the subject, don't you?” Piper asked, folding her arms.

“If it will keep you from digging your own grave. Now, how about we head over to Power Noodles?”

“Before we do that, would you mind telling me what this is?” Blake interrupted. The General wandered toward the cylindrical object, almost like a zombie. “Okay, tall, dark and creepy, would you mind telling me what this is?”

“It's very valuable and rare. I'll pay you half of what I would to buy it.”

“And how much would I get from any other vender?”

“About half of what I'm willing to pay. Every one of these you find, you bring to me.”

“And why should we do that?”

“Because that fusion core is fuel for my power armor. Look, I'll give you two hundred and fifty caps for it. Right here, right now.”

“Deal,” Blake said, snatching the box of caps being held out, turning around, and tossing the fusion core over her shoulder. Ruby laughed as the General comically juggled it as it threatened to fall to the floor.


	5. Familiar Faces, New Lies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A magnet, an android, and a knight walk into a bar, the magnet gets stuck. Just another day in the wasteland.

Keeping her head on a swivel, Pyrrha constantly checked behind her, the barren wasteland providing little in the way of concealment.

“This... this isn't Remnant... is it?” Pyrrha asked herself, her voice shaking. She had since lost count of how many times she had asked herself that same question as the midday sun beat down on her.

An orange car lay long-abandoned in the road in front of her, and to her left, a collapsed building, only a single wall still standing. Seeking a better vantage point to survey the area, she spied a tree on an elevated patch of dirt surrounded by boulders. Scaling the rock faces after a short walk up the hill to her right, a close-up of the tree revealed it to be burned and shriveled. A headstone next to the tree made the already dull wasteland even more grim. Trying to read the slab of concrete, much of the lettering had been weathered into nothingness, rendering it indecipherable. A red toy truck next to the headstone implied it may have been the grave of a child. Painted on the side truck were the words _Nuka-Cola_. Removing her gaze from the grave, a nearby scrap yard dominated the area to the south, and all remained still.

Cautiously proceeding toward the shanty in the yard, a vending machine the same shade of red as the toy truck was positioned against it. Opening the small door, she found three bottles of soda. Two dark, and the other glowing a neon blue. Taking one of the regular-looking sodas, she popped the cap off surprisingly easily and took a sip. It tasted like a regular, room-temperature soda, if a little aged. Venturing into the shanty, she was greeted with the sight of nuclear waste drums and a computer. The air felt somewhat heavy, and only got worse as she approached the terminal. Upon accessing the contents, she was greeted by a message she somehow found slightly disturbing.

_Within this terminal, ye shall find the Word of the Holy Atom, divined unto Brother Edmund, lowly scribe and follower of Atom's shining way. May ye who read this find the illumination ye seek. Blessed be._

“So, do these guys worship radiation or something?” Pyrrha asked the wind, perplexed. Reading further, there were some files to look through. The first mentioned some radiant power, Brothers Jalbert, and a shrine to be built to this _Atom_ character. The file below it, labeled _Savages,_ mentioned some traders being heavily irradiated and killed by these radical cultists. The last file at least gave an explanation to the massive pile of barrels and engines not five feet away. A fourth link turned out to not be a file at all, but a command for a floor safe, which clicked accordingly as the lock disengaged. Inside the safe, she found some ammunition that appeared as though it would work in Milò, and some crude armor.

“Well, well, what do we have here?” A dirty, greasy man asked nobody in particular, leaning against the doorway into the shanty. “Looks like some young lass who got herself lost. I wouldn't recommend standing too close to those barrels, missy. I don't think you would make a very pretty ghoul.”

“What's a ghoul?”

“If you haven't seen any ferals yet, you will. Trust me. Not a pretty sight, unlike you.”

“If you're trying to make a move on me, I already have somebody else. We just got separated through means I can't explain, and you clearly can't comprehend,” Pyrrha said firmly, drawing Milò into its rifle form.

“Holy shit, it's one of those transforming weapons! I've heard rumors, but I thought those guys were just high on Jet!”

“Look, I just need a little help.”

“We can help you... in bed.”

“You're a pig,” Pyrrha growled, disgusted.

“Ooh, feisty,” the man purred. “Just how I like 'em.”

Firing two shots from Milò, they deflected off almost harmlessly, as though the Dust-propelled rounds had no velocity.

“Your weapon is awful fancy, but what good is it if it can't break through my armor? I've got news for you, Venus. Raiders like me don't quit until we're dead.”

Not wanting to come into contact with this depraved human, Pyrrha touched one of the radioactive barrels and sent it hurtling toward the raider, knocking him into a long-disabled vehicle.

“Oh, what I wouldn't give for a damn break!” The raider exclaimed quietly, the sound of metal components sliding together escaping him. “The girls with the Minutemen were kind of cute, but that General has them under his guard.”

“What girls?” Pyrrha asked firmly, holding the end of her javelin against the raider's neck. “And who's this General you're babbling about? Ironwood?”

“Woah, woah, woah! Easy! Easy! They wore red, white, black, and there was this blonde chick with huge hair! I don't know the General's name! Nobody has ever spoken it! I don't even know where they are! The last time I saw them was like two days ago under some train tracks fighting Red Tourette! Please, you have to believe me!”

“I guess I believe you. Now get out of my sight!” Pyrrha exclaimed, subconsciously waving her arm, with the raider howling, and the truck flying off into the distant sky. “Oops.”

“Where do you think he's gonna land?” A voice further down into scrap yard asked.

“Hell if I know. I wonder if that's some kind of new trap someone's figured out? Let's get out of here before we get launched like he did.”

 

..........

 

“Dammit, we need help with this deathclaw!” A Minuteman exclaimed, his squad firing their laser muskets as quickly as they could as it advanced across the bridge. The sound of a man screaming seemed to distract the beast, it whipping around to face the noise, with a man falling into the water, barely missing the bridge. As the monster ventured over to the edge of the bridge to take a good look at its potential meal, a pickup truck plummeted from the sky and crashed into the overgrown lizard, killing it instantly. “Okay, whoever has been putting drugs in our water rations, please stop.”

 

............

 

 _I need to get out of here,_ Pyrrha thought, her mind racing. Compacting Milò into a xiphos, she instinctively headed west, across the nearby railroad tracks, up a hill, and into a house that had its western wall completely destroyed. A skeleton lay sprawled out on the floor, and a medical kit on the wall to her right. Opening it, she found two hypodermic needles with what appeared to be a gauge, and a bottle of water labeled as clean.

“Pyrrha?” A familiar voice asked. Turning to the source of the sound, it appeared to be Jaune, but he was wearing very different apparel than he was under Beacon. Instead of his dark hoodie, blue jeans, plate armor and Crocea Mors, a white button-up and black slacks, with a rifle slung over his back. “Is that... is that really you?”

“Jaune?” Pyrrha gasped, running over and wrapping him tightly in a bear hug before she even gave a thought. “You're the last person I expected to see out here, but I'm so glad to see you! Why aren't you wearing your armor? Where's your sword?”

“Oh, I ditched it for this. I felt I needed to blend in a little better with the locals.”

“I... didn't think you would take it upon yourself to abandon your family heirloom like that. Are you feeling alright?” Pyrrha asked, taking a look at her scroll. Jaune's aura meter was full.

“I feel fine, Pyrrha. Why do you ask? You're not suffering from this heat, are you?”

“Because it isn't like you to leave your grandfather's sword behind. Tell me, Jaune. When you first met Weiss back at Beacon, before the entrance exam where we formed our team, what did you call Weiss that didn't go over well with her?”

“I...”

“Better still, who were you jealous of when you were going to ask her to the school dance instead of me?”

“Why is that important right now?”

“Because I can't feel your aura, Jaune!”

“Aura...? I'm sorry, I must have hit my head pretty hard on landing,” Jaune pleaded, following her out to a playground in front of the half-destroyed house.

“Then how did you know my name, when you don't remember anything I've taught you, or the girl you were fighting another guy over? Unless you can prove to me that you're Jaune, I don't want to be anywhere near you!”

“Pyrrha, please hear me out!”

“I don't want to hear another word from you!” Pyrrha shouted, distraught. Tears were streaming down her face. “Unless you can prove to me that you really are Jaune and not just some look-alike trying to play me, I don't want to be near you!” Helicopter blades chopped the air above the treeline. A dual-rotor VTOL craft circled overhead, garnering a disgusted expression from Jaune.

“Don't they ever quit? Help me take down that vertibird, will you?”

“Now that makes me certain you are not Jaune!” Pyrrha exclaimed, drawing Milò and Akoúo. “The Jaune I know would never say something like that! Besides, how would he even know the name of that aircraft? You're an impostor!”

“Heh. I knew it wasn't going to last forever. Oh, well,” the clone sighed, drawing his rifle.

Meaning to only disarm the impostor, Pyrrha accidentally forced him against a tree.

“Where is the real Jaune?” Pyrrha growled as the vertibird landed behind her, soon joined by a second one circling overhead.

“How should I know? And you may want to pay more attention to what's behind you.”

“Knight, destroy the synth, but try not to hurt the girl,” a man in a very large, heavy suit of armor ordered. “Elder Maxson will want to see her, personally. I want to know how she's doing that.”

“Yes, Paladin. Come with us, ma'am,” another man in a nearly identical suit of armor ordered. “We don't know what's going on here, but your particular... talents are of interest to the Brotherhood of Steel. As for this synth, we will deal with it as we always have. Destroying it and confiscating any Institute tech on its body.”

“It is advised that you oblige. We don't want to get violent. That, and most people can't stomach the sight of the very realistic simulated organs being spilled by these convincing robots. Turns out, one of our own was a synth. Was. Just get on the vertibird. The rest will be explained at the Prydwen.”

Obeying the order, Pyrrha released the synth, who was quickly bound by the Knight.

“Alright, synth,” the Paladin began as Pyrrha climbed into the vertibird. “Any last words?”

“Message sent,” the synth replied, followed by maniacal laughter, which was silenced as the Paladin executed him with his laser rifle.

“Didn't want her to see that,” he muttered.

 

\--------------------

 

“Watch your step,” the Paladin advised as Pyrrha exited the vertibird onto the Prydwen's docking bay catwalk. “You are a guest of the Brotherhood of Steel. Consider yourself honored that you will be speaking with Elder Maxson, himself on his flagship.”

“Considering the military escort, and the fact that I watched you kill something that looked exactly like one of my friends, I feel more like a prisoner.”

“If you disrespect Elder Maxson, he can change that real quick. Come on, we should not keep him waiting.”

Following the Paladin down the catwalk and through a steel door, his subordinate Knight at her back, she was lead into a round room surrounded on nearly every side by glass, except the way they came.

“Elder Maxson, sir. We believe we may have come across someone who may be of interest to you,” the Paladin informed.

“Tell me, Paladin,” Maxson began, turning around to face them. He did not appear much older than Jaune. “What makes you believe this girl can be of use to us?”

“She was witnessed holding a synth against a tree through some unknown force. She was several yards away from it at the time.”

“Oh?” Maxson queried, giving a curious expression. “How do I know you are not on any drugs, Paladin?”

“Sir, I can attest to my superior's words. I witnessed the event, as well,” the Knight spoke up.

“Very well, prove to me that you can be of service to us. Paladin, exit your power armor.”

“Yes, sir,” the Paladin obliged, leaving the empty suit hunched over and dormant.

“Now, prove to me that you can be of use to us, and our allies, the Minutemen. If you truly do possess supernatural abilities, then move that suit of T-60b power armor without touching it.”

“If you intend to use me as leverage against your enemies, then I'm afraid I will have to decline. This is your war, and I want no part in it.”

“Then is my Paladin a liar? Regardless, I want you off my ship. Knight.”

“Yes, sir,” the Knight obeyed, grabbing Pyrrha's arm and trying to drag her.

“Get off of me!” Pyrrha exclaimed, shoving the metal arm away from her.

“Knight, who told you to let go?”

“I swear, I didn't do it myself, sir!”

“Do not insult my intelligence! I command you to get this woman off of my ship! Effective immediately!”

“Yes, sir!” The Paladin exclaimed. Moving toward Pyrrha in his power armor, she pushed him back into the ship, following up with the Knight.

“Unbelievable,” Elder Maxson gasped. “Welcome aboard the Prydwen. Tell me, what is your name?”

“Nikos. Pyrrha Nikos.”

“Where are you from? You don't look like you're from anywhere near here. Too clean, and I don't recognize that style of dress.”

“With all due respect, I would like to know where I am before I answer any more questions, Elder.”

“Very well, you are in what is known as the Commonwealth. What you encountered back where my vertibird found you was a synth, created by The Institute. An abomination of machinery, the Institute has attempted to create life from circuitry. It is that kind of arrogance that got us to where we are now. Civilization destroyed by the very things it thought it could trust.”

“I do believe the blame lies with humanity itself, Elder Maxson. Evil lies within the hearts of man, not in his weapons of war.”

“While I do see your point, that is why we exist. Anyway, back to the matter at hand. Where are you from?”

“I'm from a world known as Remnant. There, I was attending Beacon Academy in Vale, learning to become a huntress.”

“Humanity has learned how to hunt without the need of a special school,” Maxson scoffed.

“What we hunt is vastly different from what you hunt. My occupation of choice was to hunt down and destroy Creatures of Grimm. Nobody knows much about them, as captured specimens die quickly in captivity, and evaporate on death. What we do know, however, is they are drawn to negative emotion. Fear and anger, most notably.”

“And what of... whatever it is you just did?”

“That is my semblance. Polarity. I can have command over virtually any metal. The only drawback is, I actually have to come into contact with said metal. Aluminum cans, toasters, power armor. It doesn't matter. Once I touch one, I control them all. I normally don't use it so openly.”

“Impressive. Most impressive. Are there any others?”

“My partner, Jaune Arc, and my other two teammates, Nora Valkyrie and Lie Ren. There's also the matter of Team RWBY...”

“Sir, forgive me for the interruption!” A scribe exclaimed, short of breath.

“What is it, scribe?”

“We have confirmed the Minutemen have the raven-haired girl seen outside CIT under their protection, as well as three others. One in red, another in white, and a blonde girl with... excessive hair. They were last seen fighting Red Tourette and her gang just west of Vault 81.”

“Wait, is that Team RWBY?”

“Scribe, summon the General of the Minutemen immediately. I wish to speak with him, personally. I don't believe we have met.”

“Yes, sir.”

“So, tell me, Miss Nikos. What talents do your friends possess that would cause The Institute to seek them out?”

“First tell me, who are the Minutemen?” Pyrrha pressed, receiving a tired sigh from Maxson.

“The Minutemen claim to stand for justice, and are evidently enemies of The Institute, and have control over a large area of the Commonwealth. They aren't our enemies, but in truth, neither are they our allies. Though, while they have made it clear they don't want any trouble, they aren't afraid to fight back. Don't be fooled by their trench coats, laser muskets and philosophy. The Minutemen are something even you should fear, but for entirely different reasons as opposed to The Institute. Now, what of your friends?”

\------------

“Smash!” Nora shouted as she brought her hammer down onto the head of a super mutant, killing it.

“Human not supposed to smash brothers! Super mutant supposed to smash human!” A super mutant master exclaimed, charging Nora with a super sledge. Avoiding the massive blow, the tiny ginger brought Magnhild for an overhand swing, knocking the super mutant's head off his shoulders like a baseball on a batting tee.

“Ugly _and_ stupid! What a combination,” Nora sighed, looking at the piles of dead super mutants. Thundering footfalls erupted from behind. Turning around, all Nora saw was a red flash as she was batted into the side of an apartment building. Collecting herself, she staggered to her feet and gasped when she saw a super mutant easily twice the size of the ones she was fighting. It was beating a telephone pole into its hand like a rolling pin.

“Little bug go squish now,” it growled. Nora simply smiled in response.

 


End file.
